The F Word/God's will

No, not that F-word. I'm talking about failure, well actually more so the fear of failure.

Have you ever been trying to do an assignment or talking yourself up to go do something that's a bit risky and just feel paralyzed with the thought of failing so you don't even try? Well that's what I'm talking about today ladies and gents. It seems to be a common phenomenon in my life. It's that moment I go to do something and I just can't. Maybe it's strong traits of procrastinating or the worry that your best isn't good enough. Who knows.

Fear of failure isn't just the fear of failing but even the fear of possibly failing to follow God's will. So often I feel stuck in my life and honestly it's because I get so caught up with the worry of trying to follow God's will to a perfect T. But that's not how it works. He doesn't just set us down on a straight path for us to follow, he gives us forks in the road. He gives us choices to make and sometimes we don't have the answers. That's where faith comes into all of this. We have to have faith in God and that he will close the doors that are meant to close and open new ones along the way.

Sometimes it may feel that no matter what we do we're going to fail. And if you let it that fear will eat you alive. That fear of failure will keep you paralyzed which is exactly what the enemy wants. But meeting with a dear friend this past week, a wonderful truth was spoken to me: God cannot guide you if you're not in motion. God doesn't want us to fear failure, he wants us to embrace it. He's going to close door after door but there will come a time when there's an open door and it leads to another and another.

Sometimes you're going to do something and a door will close but the important thing is that you're trying. By setting yourself in motion you're allowing God to guide you. We get so caught up in the idea of what success is and that if we fail once, we've failed for good. Thank heavens that this is not the case! I could never say what God's will is in a specific sense. But I have a pretty good idea in the broad realm. Our God wants us to seek him, spend time in his word, listen for him, be still in him and obey him. He doesn't just set his children down in a vast park and let them wander, he sets them on a path and as they walk along it, he puts road blocks on some routes and paves new roads along the way. All he asks us is to trust in him and listen to his guidance along the way!