Embracing Your Unique CallingChikamu

Overcoming fear through knowing who you are

The fear of failure—don’t so many of us struggle with it? We know people by their successes, by what they do and how well they do it. One of the first questions we ask someone is, “What do you do for a living?” 

We ask our children from the time they can talk, “What do you want to DO when you grow up?” 

And if success is the currency of our day, the thing that defines us, wouldn’t failure do the same? If you’re anything like me, afraid of being defined by your failures, wouldn’t you do anything to avoid that feeling? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. Fear of failure is the most common fear among the human race. 

God gave the Old Testament prophet Jonah a particular vocational calling: to go to the evil city of Nineveh and preach against it. But although Jonah heard God’s voice, he ran in the opposite direction, hopping on a boat headed to the faraway city of Tarshish. Why? “America’s Rabbi” Shmuley Boteach explains, “[Jonah] feared if the Gentiles heeded God’s call for repentance, he would make the sinful Jews look bad.” 

There it was—fear. And although this wasn’t the same sort of fear of failure you might struggle with, it’s still instructive. Although God gave Jonah a second chance, Jonah’s fear initially paralyzed him. It prevented him from walking into his vocational calling. The fears that plagued Jonah still plague us. Even the most successful among us.  

If you’ve lost sight of your faith calling or if you haven’t pursued your vocational calling, ask yourself why. Have you allowed fear to take root, preventing you from taking that next step in your faith journey? 

Ask yourself these questions:

• What fears are preventing me from walking into my vocational callings?

• What’s the BEST THING that could happen if I pursue my vocational callings?

• If I know my faith calling—who I am—does failure in my vocational callings even matter? 

• How would knowing my faith calling give me confidence as I pursue my vocational callings?

Fear is a liar, a dream-slayer. Fear will end your vocational callings before they even begin. Fear can short-circuit God’s best for you if you let it. Fear must be rooted out, even if that requires an audacious step.