“There is no one on earth who does what is right all the time and never makes a mistake.” Ecclesiastes 7:20 (GNT)

For many of us, failure seems like the unpardonable sin. We idolize success. But that kind of pressure creates major stress in our lives. The fear of failure has many different faces. It can cause you to be indecisive, a workaholic, and a perfectionist who clings to safety. Because we’re afraid to fail, we shun all kinds of risks.

The fear of failure can have an iron grip on our hearts. Even some of the best and brightest people in the world are impacted by the fear of failure.

That’s why I urge you to internalize this one simple message: We’ve all made mistakes. It’s not just a “you problem”; it’s a human problem. The Bible says, “There is no one on earth who does what is right all the time and never makes a mistake” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 GNT).

Not only have you made mistakes in the past, but you’ll also make more in the future. I guarantee it. Even playing it safe and refusing to take risks is a mistake.

As a pastor, I would hear people ask all the time, “What if I fail?” I asked them, “What do you mean if?”

You’ve already failed many, many times in life. So have I. In fact, you’re a failure in an area of your life right now. And you’ll fail a lot more in the future.

Even superstars stumble. The greatest professional basketball players only sink about half their shots. And the best professional baseball players get a hit only about one out of every three times at bat. Failure is normal.

You’ll never overcome your fear of failure until you fully accept the reality that you’re not perfect.

The Bible says there is only one failure you need to fear: “Be careful that no one fails to receive God’s grace” (Hebrews 12:15 NCV).

You need grace. We all do!

Only when we let go of the fear of failure will it let go of its maddening grip on our lives. Once that happens, we can fully accept the grace of God.