Taking a Leap of Faith

God has been revealing a part of my heart lately that I didn't want to see. I have realized that in most cases I would rather not do something at all, then do it and make a mistake. I'm terrified of messing up. It's kind of like living my whole life believing in courtship...relationships will allways be future in my mind so I think I'll be terrified to begin one. It will take a lot of confirmation from the Lord on that one. The same goes for very simple things like swing dancing and other time commitments. If there is any doubt in my mind as to whether I can handle it, I might just decide not to do it at all. Why take the risk, right? But I can't live like that. That is not what walking in the Holy Spirit is like. To listen to and follow the voice of God we must be willing to act against our doubts. The question I am pondering now is this: how do we discern the difference between times when we must take a leap of faith, and times when we need to step back? I think that is why I am generally quiet, because it's safe. That way I'm less likely to say something I'll regret. But it happens anyway, and the Lord lets me make mistakes anyway. I have learned that no matter what choices we make, the Holy Spirit will continue to bring our sins to light to teach and shape us. I am so thankful for that! I struggle now with learning to abide in Him. It sounds simple enough, but it is a scarry thing for me. I've allways enjoyed making lists and I have found recently that my walk with Christ has been a long list of "how to live to honor Christ". God showed me last week that my primary focus should not be to honor Him, but to abide in Him. If I learn to ponder His glory, then He will transform me, and if I learn to abide in Him, I will learn to love like He does. It is not about my list, it's about my love relationship with Jesus. This idea has been received by me with enthusiasm, but I believe it will be a tough week learning to live it. I appreciate your prayers, my dear friends. Blessings in Christ!