Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back

What are you afraid of? Does fear play a big role in your life? Whether or not we are conscious of our fears, we all have them. Some fears are relatively minor and don’t affect us much, but some can change the course of our life and keep us from growing.

The fear of failure in particular is a widespread issue that affects so many in our world today. Many of us fail to achieve our goals or even strive for our dreams due to this fear. Even many Christians who feel the call of God in their lives are too fearful to take the first step to fulfill that calling.

As Christians, we know that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Below are three tips that will help you overcome these fears in your life.

Name Your Fears

Fear is not always rational. At times, even the thought of trying something new and moving out of our comfort zone causes fear to rise within us, but we might not realize why we feel the fear that we do. One of the most important steps to overcoming fear of failure is to pinpoint exactly what you are afraid of.

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Are you afraid of what people will think of you? Are you afraid of losing your security? Are you afraid of disappointing yourself or the people you love?

When you deeply consider the root of your fears, you may find that they are governed by emotion rather than fact, or are less significant than you realized.

This past summer, I took my toddler to the pool. He loves to swim, but he was afraid of letting go of my hand while swimming even though he had on a life jacket.

Even when I tried to tell him that he could let go and would be safe, he didn’t understand—he was fearful, even though he wasn’t exactly sure what he was afraid of. Sometimes our biggest fear is the fear of the unknown.

I often think this must be what God feels about our fears. If we could just let go and trust Him, we would be able to achieve our dreams, as long as they align with His dreams for us. Don’t let a broad, vague, unnamed fear hold you back—dig deep and identify your fears so that you can move on from them.

Lean on God and Others

You don’t have to do it alone! Fear can be isolating. It keeps us from sharing our lives and burdens with others. When you feel fear begin to set in, that is the time to ask for help, not only from the people in your life but also from God.

The Bible says,

“I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13

You don’t have to place your confidence only in your own strength. You can trust in the Lord and ask Him to help you bear your burdens.

God has also puts people in our lives that can help and support us along our journey.

Often our fear of failure leads us to believe that we should be able to do it all ourselves, but that’s simply not true—God gives each of us unique gifts and talents, and recognizing and accepting the help of others is crucial to letting go of our fear of failing.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

One of my favorite passages from the gospels is when Jesus walks on water and then calls Peter to walk on the water after Him. Peter miraculously gets out of the boat and follows Jesus:

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’”
Matthew 14:30

When Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and allows himself to be overcome by fear, he begins to sink. Jesus then questions why he doubted! This is an important lesson for us today.

Whatever it is that God is calling you to, keep your eyes on Jesus, and you can overcome your fears.

It is only when we, like Peter, allow our fears to cloud our vision of Jesus and His calling that we will begin to sink. Your faith in God is your biggest weapon against the fear of failure and self-doubt that tries to hold you back.

We all, at times, struggle with fear of failure. We all think that we are not good enough or we are not able, but the reality is that if God has called you to something, He will help you accomplish it.