A story is told of a tourist who was driving through the countryside when he saw an old farmer sitting in a rocking chair on his porch. Behind his farmhouse was seventy-five hectares of land. The tourist asked, ‘Is that your land?’ ‘Yep,’ the farmer replied. ‘Well, what are you doing with it? Thinking of growing cotton?’ the tourist asked. ‘Nope, I’m afraid the weevils will get it,’ said the farmer. ‘What about maize?’ the tourist asked. ‘No, I’m afraid the locusts will eat it,’ he replied. ‘Well,’ the tourist asked, ‘What about raising cattle?’ The farmer said, ‘I’m afraid the price of beef and milk might go down.’ ‘So, what are you going to do with all this land?’ the tourist asked. ‘Nothing. I’m just going to play it safe.’
Is that how you feel? When you choose to play it safe in life, your potential for success is like that barren wasteland. As long as fear rules your life you won’t step out in faith and fulfill your destiny. It is normal for fear to sneak in when difficulties and challenges arise in our lives. We should recognize that God is present and walks with us always.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Isn’t it better to risk failure and do what God wants, than risk displeasing Him? We’ve all experienced the fear that makes us want to pull back. Only those who overcome it go far in life. Conquering the fear of failure begins with believing: ‘God wants me to succeed.’ Undergirded by that truth you cannot only defy your fears but defeat them too.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
