“Our greatest fear is how great we are.” That quote has never made sense to me. I understand the quote to mean we fear our own success. We are not afraid of trying and failing but that we will try and succeed. We don’t think we are inferior but we believe that we are great and if we attempt to live our dreams we will succeed and then become obligated to our success. I think that’s what’s implied there. I’d love to hear your thoughts on that’s quote.
This is a new series on our fear and our potential. To start, let’s look at our actual fear of failure. I think most of us do fear failure. It’s a basic instinct to fear failure and rejection. The desire to protect yourself is strong. I think some of us do understand we are inferior. In a world of comparison, there will always be someone else someone somewhere doing something better. And as we age and the affects of a broken world begin to tax our body and mind, we give way to those younger, faster, smarter. Are you depressed yet? Living in a competitive driven society that judges by comparison, we have much to fear.
Fortunately we have the option to choose to live under a different set of rules. In the Kingdom, I'm not trying to be the best, I am trying to do my best. There is a balance between believing in God to create great potential in your life and to do great things for His glory in your life, while at the same time being content in who He has formed you to be. We must be content in what He is doing and has done in us and also be expectant and confident of His glory through us. The one thing that doesn't enter that equation is a fear of failure or a fear of success for that matter. In fact, if fear is apparent anywhere in your motivation, Jesus invites you to let His perfect love of you and what He is doing in you to drive that fear out of you.
Step one in wrestling with your potential is learning to rest with who God is in your life and keeping fear out of the equation.