Do you need help to trust God more fully when fear of failure drags you down? We are tempted to put time with God aside when we feel stressed to succeed in all the tasks before us. When fear of failure presses in, listening to God can change our perspective. 

Meditation on God’s Word and prayerful journaling are a powerful combination. They are spiritual disciplines that open space for us to meet with God. Rather than a formula to follow or a skill to practice, listening to God develops as we bring our concerns and questions to Him. In today’s post, I share from a journal entry I’ve come back to again and again. Be encouraged with valuable perspective shifts that can strengthen you to trust God more fully and overcome fear of failure.

Is Fear of Failure Pulling You Down?

I sat in my favorite chair, taking that first sip of coffee that tastes so good. In the middle of writing my first book, the weight of deadlines and expectations  felt heavy. Intimidating. And more than a bit overwhelming.

My work called out for my time and attention, but I knew I needed time with God before rushing into the day. In my quiet time, I began to talk with God about the worries that were pulling me down.

• Do I have enough words to finish this manuscript?
• Is my work good enough?
• What if nobody reads my book? 

These were a few of the fears that replayed in my thoughts. The pressures that Christian authors face are very real.  I’ve faced these same questions too many times to count.

Prayer Creates Space to Share Our Fears with God

Maybe for some, confidence comes easy. For me, confidence is a winding path on uneven terrain. Coming to God with my fears and frustrations, I longed to receive encouragement as I picked up with my daily Bible reading plan. With an exhale of breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, I prayed.

Lord, You know my concerns and that all too familiar fear of not being enough. As I read, open my ears to receive what You want to talk about today. Draw my attention to the words You want to ensure I don’t gloss over. Help me to know what You want me to understand about my fear. 

Meditating on God’s Word Helps Us Listen to God

Bible meditation is a spiritual discipline that helps me to hear God more clearly.

Here is my highlight of what I read in 2 Corinthians 2:

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. . . For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ, in the sight of God.  2 Corinthians 2:14-17

I realized that my concerns of finishing the book and the many tasks that go along with publishing triggered the old patterns of my flesh.

The old fear-of-failure flesh pattern had surfaced again.

The patterns that elevate good performance as the definer of worth and value were alive and flourishing. Maybe you have struggled with the pressure of a performance mentality a time or two as well–I’m pretty sure this issue shows up in all of our lives at some point. If not daily. . . 

Slowing down to reflect on what a passage actually says is a powerful way of listening to God, giving attention for the Spirit to speak.

Slowly I mulled over these truths:

• God leads us in His triumph in Christ.
• God manifests through us the knowledge of Christ.
• Our goal is to respond to what God manifests in us with sincerity.
• Relying of Christ, we share what God has taught us.

Sensing God had more to show me, I wrote the thoughts that came to mind. Prayer and meditating on Scripture create a sacred space for listening to God.  I share these insights as they have encouraged me many times. I hope these thoughts will prove helpful in your own struggles to let go of the fear of failure.

Listening to God Expands Our Understanding

Shift your perspective.

These are three simple but powerful words.

To shift perspective is to look at something differently.

To think differently.

To respond differently.

It is to see a fuller picture than the flat-sided, one dimensional view of our current position. Perspective is also “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.” When the fear of failure gets in the way of answering God’s call, we need to shift our perspective.

10 Perspective Shifts to Free Your Heart from Fear of Failure

1. Replace worry with gratitude. Be thankful for what God is doing rather than be anxious about how you well are doing.
2. Focus on following God over fretting about failure. Trust God to lead you. You’re not in this alone and it doesn’t all depend on your ability. 
3. Don’t let the fear of failure ignite discouragement. Shift your heart from seeking personal success to rejoicing in the triumph of Christ as you bring every discouragement to Him.
4. Don’t compare and compete. Culture is rife with temptation to measure yourself against others. These toxic sisters never lead us to God’s perspective.
5. Keep your focus on God’s glory rather than bowing to the pressure to succeed. You have nothing to prove. In Christ you are deeply loved and valued; you are already worthy. Trusting God in the process is the path to success that carries eternal weight.
6. Ask God to speak through you, “Lord, please manifest Your words through me today.”
7. Shift your outlook from obsessing over outcomes to sharing God’s Word with sincerity as you follow Christ. 
8. Be confident in Christ. Be competent through Christ because your adequacy is from Him.
9. Stop giving into the condemnation of your fears. Pressure to prove yourself drains life from your soul.
10. Enjoy God’s presence and trust Him to lead you to the path of life rather than the quick route to momentary success.

*Click here to print list below.

In the sanctuary of my soul, God reminded me that it is His Spirit that gives life and liberty. His Words are the words that matter and His leadership is faithful and sure. Today as I come back to this journal entry, I am strengthened once again to let go of fear as I trust in God’s guidance and provision.

And just maybe, God is expressing Himself to you as I share what He has been teaching me. Would you let me know if these freeing perspective shifts are empowering for you?

Which one of these perspective shifts helps free you from fear of failure today? 

Need Help for Processing Fear and Worry With God?

Are you looking for a practical way to process vulnerable emotions like fear and worry in a way that draws you deeper with God? It’s so easy for fear to prompt us to pull in, to isolate ourselves. God can feel very distant as we struggle with emotions we’d rather not experience. If this is you, I have a couple of resources to help.

Flourish: An Emotional Health Workbook is a printable resource in my Subscriber Library. In this workbook, you’ll find tips and exercises to work through emotions with God. You can sign up here to get access to the Library. 

Be sure to check out the thoughts and feelings chapters in my book, Holy in the Moment. These two chapters are packed with concepts from my own journey in healing from anxiety.

Related Posts

• When You Catch Yourself Seeking Worth in Your Work
• Simple Ways to Meditate on God’s Word
• How to Stay Focused in Prayer
• How to Silence the Not Enough Voices in Your Head
• Help for Moments When Worry and Anxiety Get the Best of You
• Five Powerful Choices to Free Your Heart from Fear
• 4 Ways to Make Time for God in a Busy Life

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