Fear of Failure
Once upon a time, I had this beautiful and lovely post that I was just
about to publish when (wouldn't you know it?): it disappears. So...I'm
writing an entirely new one. Here ya go...
"So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you."
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf
We were not put on this earth (in this time, in this place) to fail or
to not try because we're afraid of failure.We are given these chances to
try different things, learn and make discoveries, and build new
friendships because these are things that help us grow.
As Richard G. Scott explained, we were put on this earth "to succeed gloriously."
Yet sometimes it feels like no matter how hard we try, some things just never work out, some problems just don't make sense and some days just leave us aching...
Sometimes it feels like we're having the opposite of success.
Maybe the reason for this is that the Lord has a different definition of success than we do. Maybe His success is measured in the lessons we learn through our effort, the friendships we make with strangers, or the lives we touch in our daily actions. Whether we know and acknowledge it or not, the Lord really does care for us and desires for us to succeed. His definition of success might be a little different from ours, but it is always for our betterment.
It may often be hard to press on in the midst of the storms we face in
life, but when we are in these storms, we can stand tall knowing we have
the Lord on our side. Like it says in 2 Kings 6:16, "Fear not: for they
they that be with us are more than they that be with them." The Lord is
there, waiting for us to ask for help--waiting for us to see that He is
there for us. What a sad loss if we don't use that most precious
resource and call on Him for help, for guidance, for assurance or for
comfort...
Recently, in one of these life-storms, I sat in church as we sang Hymn #85 ("How Firm a Foundation"). Because I realized I was helpless without His assistance, I'd been praying to the Lord--not for solutions to my problems, as had been my habit--but for some sort (any sort) of comfort during this struggle. By the time we reached the third verse of the song, I was in tears:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,...
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
The Lord heard my plea, as He hears all of ours. Trusting in Him may take courage, but we will never be let down and our courage will never be wasted.
"And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." ~Alma 7:12
The Savior went through all these things for us--that He might know how to succor His people. We are so cared for and so loved. If we ever doubt it, we just need to ask. He'll show us.
"Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the conquest of it." ~William Danforth
With God, we can conquer all of our fears and experience the life we are meant to experience, growing to the potential He sees in us.
As Richard G. Scott explained, we were put on this earth "to succeed gloriously."
Yet sometimes it feels like no matter how hard we try, some things just never work out, some problems just don't make sense and some days just leave us aching...
Sometimes it feels like we're having the opposite of success.
Maybe the reason for this is that the Lord has a different definition of success than we do. Maybe His success is measured in the lessons we learn through our effort, the friendships we make with strangers, or the lives we touch in our daily actions. Whether we know and acknowledge it or not, the Lord really does care for us and desires for us to succeed. His definition of success might be a little different from ours, but it is always for our betterment.
Recently, in one of these life-storms, I sat in church as we sang Hymn #85 ("How Firm a Foundation"). Because I realized I was helpless without His assistance, I'd been praying to the Lord--not for solutions to my problems, as had been my habit--but for some sort (any sort) of comfort during this struggle. By the time we reached the third verse of the song, I was in tears:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,...
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
The Lord heard my plea, as He hears all of ours. Trusting in Him may take courage, but we will never be let down and our courage will never be wasted.
"And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." ~Alma 7:12
The Savior went through all these things for us--that He might know how to succor His people. We are so cared for and so loved. If we ever doubt it, we just need to ask. He'll show us.
"Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the conquest of it." ~William Danforth
With God, we can conquer all of our fears and experience the life we are meant to experience, growing to the potential He sees in us.
So dear humans, do something crazy and courageous today and be happy about it. It is so worth it. :)
Note: This
post was originally published on my blog, https://lookingupinsong.blogspot.com, 23 Jan. 2013.
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