By Rev. Jerry Chiles
I have survived so far in this COVID-19 pandemic. I think I’m OK, but have some bumps and bruises. I find myself not knowing what comes next. I hear about lawsuits to allow churches to reopen, and I listened to the health experts who are very cautious. What do I do? This is no man’s land; a place where we become paralyzed.
We want to go back to the place we feel safe and comfortable. Yet we wonder, if that place still exists. We see the need to move forward, but don’t know what that looks like. We are afraid of failing.
Moses faced similar circumstances in the Exodus. The children of Israel grumbled against Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die?” Moses became frustrated, “What am I to do with these people.” (NIV). Moses knew they could not go back. He had a vision of their destiny. Did he take some missteps? Yes, but he moved forward with the Lord’s help.
Be assured that failure is not the enemy, failing to act is the enemy. If you step out into the unknown, will you make mistakes? Yes. In a blog by Robyn with Partners in Mindful Living it says, “The big truth is that failure has gotten a bad rap. It’s the only way we humans move forward, make progress, and grow into functioning, reasoning adults.” In Love Does Bob Goff says “Failure is just a part of the process. God doesn’t want failure to shut us down. It’s more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so that we can swing for the fences again.”
“Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” – Deuteronomy 3:22 NIV
These thoughts above are from Rev. Jerry Chiles, one of our partners in ministry for the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Metroplex. He has served in various churches across the Southeast as an associate minister.