One of men's greatest fears is the fear of failure. We live with the nagging fear that will fail or are a failure in our lives. It plagues most men I talk to.
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But there is a more insidious fear that is linked to this fear of failure. It's a fear that I won't succeed. The reason this is so insidious is because my definition of success is based on what someone else has done. If I could be like Joe, then I would be a success. If I could play the piano like Fred, then I would be happy. But, success is never measured by what someone else has done. It's measured by what God has designed you to do. Both success and failure are linked in this one basic concept- I'm only a success when I do what God has designed me to do and I'm only a failure if I don't. It's never measured by what anyone else has done. It's always to be measured by what God wants me to do.
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The worse thing I can do in my life is measure myself by someone else. In ministry this is always a temptation. The devil would like nothing better than for you to feel like a failure because you aren't as popular as ____________. But, God didn't design us all to be or do the same things. We are each created for a specific role, task and mission in life. It's only when I do what God designed me to do that I succeed and it's only when I don't that I fail. The measure of success and failure is intimately woven into what God has made me to be.
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Our culture has fooled us. We have believed the lie that success involves a better job, more money, a nice house, a pretty wife or good looking husband, great kids and shinny teeth. God doesn't look at any of these with pleasure in our accomplishments. All he wants to know is this- are you becoming what I made you to be? If your answer is yes then you are a success! Even if you have no money in your pocket, no hair on your head and you're 50 pounds overweight. Take another look at success and failure from God's perspective. You might find that you have been looking at this thing all wrong. You might find great joy in being just what God made you to be.
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2 comments:
Mike,
Fear of Failure hits women as well. Were my kids parented successfully? Am I a good wife? More importantly, do I reflect Christ in my life? Am I doing what He made me to do? Or, am I doing what I THINK He wants me to do?
Your blog is very timely...I needed to hear these exact words, today, right now, this minute. Thank you for your insightful and tender message.
Lana S.
Its a very slippery slope between being humble and accepting of who you are in Gods sight, and being apatheic towards improving who you are. Of course God loves us no matter our weight, hair, etc...but the real question is whether that is your optimal state of being. Lets not give in to eating bon bons everyday becasue God loves us anyway. (plug in your sin here) rather lets always pursue our most optimal and useful state of who we are.
Good luck on striking this balnce, it is a life long journey.
sam
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