Have you Ever Fallen…Far? Do You Have a Fear of Heights? How About a Fear of Failure?
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Josh. 1:9
Robert Lewis’s book, The Church of Irresistible Influence, is filled with great principles explaining how to create an effective church. Throughout his book, Lewis uses bridge metaphors. The following is my attempt to paraphrase a favorite of his bridge stories:
Newspapers called it the “Dance of Danger”—bridge construction on top of swaying catwalks and high towers, sometimes hundreds of feet in the air, blown by ill winds. This dance had even yielded a calculated fatality rate: For each one million dollars spent, one life would be lost. That was what one could expect.
Engineers of the Golden Gate Bridge; however, believed the risks could be lowered. In 1932, when construction began, numerous safety measures were put into place and strictly enforced: mandatory use of hard hats, prescription filtered eye glasses, no showboating (cause for automatic-firing), tie-off lines, and an on-site hospital. All helped to greatly reduce the casualty rate. After all, only one worker died during nearly four years of construction and after $20 million spent!
The most effective safety device, without question, was as new to bridgebuilding as it was old to the circus: the use of a trapeze net. Costing $130,000, this large net draped sixty feet below the roadbed under construction and extended ten feet beyond each side. So effective was the safety net that the newspapers began running box scores: “Score on the Gate Bridge Safety Net to Date: 8 Lives Saved!” Those men whose lives were saved by the net were said to have joined the “Halfway to Hell Club.”
The net had another benefit, though perhaps less publicized, but still very significant: It freed many of the workers from an often paralyzing sense of fear. And that, many said, helped them work more productively.
I bet! What fear is threatening to paralyze you today? Is it the fear of financial collapse? Is it the fear of hearing about a potentially unfavorable medical report? Is it the fear of a broken relationship? Or maybe you are afraid about the uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring? Whatever your concerns, we have a loving, caring God who knows your heart and desires to comfort you in all your fears.
When I’m fearful, my safety net is the comfort of God’s presence felt through prayer and the assurance of His Word.
The Power of Truth:
- “Take courage! It is I (Jesus). Don’t be afraid.” Matt.6:50
- “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Heb. 13:6
Suggestion for Prayer:
Allow God to be your safety net. Confess your fears and ask Him to give you courage and faith to trust in Him…in His love and in His plan for your life.