Why am I so afraid of failure or defeat? Is it my pride that drives me to resist those ominous threats or is it something else?
The Bible says But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere (2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV). That verse has intrigued me for decades! It says as long as we remain connected to the vine or are in Christ, we will not suffer failure or defeat! We are winners, no matter what it may appear like on the outside. So why is it that any believer fears failure or defeat?
Interestingly, God wins His greatest victories through apparent defeats. However, quite often God allows it to appear like our enemy wins—for a time. But in His time, He steps in and overturns the enemy’s apparent win. This is exactly what happened in the book of Esther chapters 3-9 when it appeared Haman had won by building a gallows on which to hang Mordecai, the reputable Jew. When God intervened, Haman ended up being hung on those very same gallows he had built to hang Mordecai. God then used that radical change to empower the Jews to protect themselves from annihilation.
It is stunning how God receives much greater glory, and we are given a much greater victory than if He had kept us from experiencing the apparent defeat. This was true for the three Hebrew children in Daniel 3. We applaud their standing by their convictions to honoring God rather than succumb to political correctness of worshipping King Nebuchadnezzar. However, they paid the consequences of being thrown into the fiery furnace. Again, the enemy appeared to have won! It looked like the gallant servants of God were going to suffer a sobering defeat. Can you imagine what their Hebrew friends thought and felt who watched them being thrown into the hot flames as their enemies gloated in victory as they expected to see them incinerated? But God intervened after the apparent defeat, and none other than the angel of the Lord (an Old Testament phrase representing Christ) appeared with them in the furnace protecting them from the heat and flames. When the king saw this miracle, He said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God (Daniel 3:28 ESV) Would God have been glorified or would they have experienced the incredible victory if He would have intervened before their apparent defeat?
Is our fear of failure or defeat actually an exposure of our lack of an authentic, intimate relationship with the Bible God? I get the sense that when I fear failure and defeat my humanity is showing. How about you? This thought motivates me to seek to know more about who God is, so I can trust Him enough to minimize my fears. Psalm 9:10 (ESV) And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
That’s really good!!