And if you fail . . . . so what?
I had a dream I was on top of a very high mountain range. Where I stood was as narrow as though I were tight roping. There was a long stretch in front of me and no end was in sight. I could feel the wind swaying me back and forth. So, instead of continuing in the treacherous struggle that was beyond my abilities, I threw myself off the side of the mountain. As I fell, I could feel the rapid descent in the pit of my stomach and I woke up with a start.
Do you ever feel like that in your life? A struggle that you fear losing? Victory seems unattainable but failure, like the fall from a mountain, seems impossible to bounce back from.
I used to feel this way. Failure was too painful to bare. Then, I realized, so what if I fail? God loves me unconditionally. (Romans 8:38, 39 KJV For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) If I sin - he still loves me. (1 John 1:9 KJV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) If I fail out of school - he still loves me. If I become morbidly obese - he still loves me. If I have no money left - he still loves me. If I trip and fall in front of a crowd - he still loves me. If everyone else in the world decides they want nothing to do with me he still loves me. Not only will he still love me but he is there waiting to pick up the pieces and make me whole. (Psalm 40:2 KJV He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.)
The tight roping? It is self imposed. If you are doing this to yourself, please, stop it. You are not giving yourself the grief you deserve. Wouldn't God let you perish if he wanted you to grieve? (John 3:16) If you fail - so what? If you have God in your life you have a love that you can always count on. And if you have God's love what else really matters?
Do you ever feel like that in your life? A struggle that you fear losing? Victory seems unattainable but failure, like the fall from a mountain, seems impossible to bounce back from.
I used to feel this way. Failure was too painful to bare. Then, I realized, so what if I fail? God loves me unconditionally. (Romans 8:38, 39 KJV For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) If I sin - he still loves me. (1 John 1:9 KJV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) If I fail out of school - he still loves me. If I become morbidly obese - he still loves me. If I have no money left - he still loves me. If I trip and fall in front of a crowd - he still loves me. If everyone else in the world decides they want nothing to do with me he still loves me. Not only will he still love me but he is there waiting to pick up the pieces and make me whole. (Psalm 40:2 KJV He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.)
The tight roping? It is self imposed. If you are doing this to yourself, please, stop it. You are not giving yourself the grief you deserve. Wouldn't God let you perish if he wanted you to grieve? (John 3:16) If you fail - so what? If you have God in your life you have a love that you can always count on. And if you have God's love what else really matters?
I have never tried tight roping, yet your analogy goes perfectly with how we get life and expectations twisted. In truth, we don't need to place our expectations on others. Our expectations should be placed on God. For God never fails, . He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will abide in us as long as we abide in Him. And God does not give us the spirit of fear. He gives us power to overcome through Him. Therefore, God's love is eternal, and God's grace is sufficient for all.
ReplyDeleteMelissa