Fear, Failure, and a Faithful God

Isn’t it amazing what God can do when it feels like all is lost? 

I launched my first company, a digital agency, in 2008. I had a former employer who needed a digital agency that understood the industry. They asked me to start a company and agreed to refer clients to me. It was a great partnership, until it wasn’t.  

One day, unexpectedly, the partnership dissolved. Overnight I had no clients, no revenue, and no idea what to do. It was the height of the recession, and we had recently bought a new house. My husband’s company had been bought out, and he was looking for work. The pressure was enormous. 

I was scared out of my mind. 

Determined to make my business work, I decided to launch a product. I spent months developing and testing this product. When launch day finally came, I promoted the heck out of it. And I prayed. Oh boy, did I pray.

The result? Crickets. 

I felt discouraged, embarrassed, and even more terrified. About a week after the failed launch, I received an email from someone who lived across the country that I had never met. (I had never done any work outside my area.) He said, “I don’t need what you’re selling, but I do need someone to run my marketing. Can you help?” That was the very first client I ever got “on my own.” A few days later, a second client reached out and hired me on the spot. Within two months, I had five clients and hired my first employee. I ran that business for many years, worked with many amazing clients, and grew a six-figure business. 

I never did make a single sale of that product. 

But I learned a few valuable lessons that apply to any goal, whether it’s health, finances, job search, dating, or anything else. 

Failure is subjective. 

I talk about this a lot with my coaching clients, but we have a very different perspective on failure than God does. As humans, if we don’t get the outcome we expect, we view it as a failure. But God never promised that everything we set out to do would meet our expectations. Success is measured in obedience, not outcomes. How is God asking you to step out in faith this week? 

When all else fails, get moving. 

Clarity comes when we’re in motion. That’s where we learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to serve the people we’re called to serve. Even if it doesn’t work, in my experience, God still meets us there and opens doors that all our planning and worrying cannot. What action steps can you take this week to move forward?

Put yourself out there. 

We tend to play small because we worry about what a few critics will say. But there are far more people who are want to connect with you and what you offer. They need you to publish the post, send the resume, join the group, launch the product or service, extend the invitation. What is one way you will put yourself “out there” this week?

When we step out in faith and obedience, God is with us and He is faithful. I have seen this again and again in my own life and the lives of my clients. No matter how big the failure, how paralyzing the fear, or how loud the critics are, He brings all things together for our good. Failure is no match for a faithful God. 

So let’s take action this week and see what God does. Are you in?

I’m cheering you on.