You may remember reading my previous post “Scripted”. You may remember that I asked what your script is. Well, surprise—another question: what happens when you lose the script? What happens when all of the premeditated thoughts and actions simply vanish when it comes crunch time? Matter of fact, if you’ve been out to do some karaoke, you probably understand completely what I’m talking about. Halfway through the song, you completely blank on your line, so thank goodness the words are on the screen. Whew!

But what if they’re not? What if it’s all up to you to remember what it is you’re doing? Simple. You have two options: leave the stage, or sing.

On the subject of stage fright again, a lot of times people will choke and forget the words simply because of the fear that they’ll screw it up in some way. I think we’ve probably been scared of underperforming in some aspect of our lives, even if it’s not an art form, something for which you must take the stage. Heck! Maybe you’re just scared you’re going to screw up a potential friendship, so you completely just black out everything you know about being a friend to avoid that failure, the letting down of someone we may grow to care for. But that was never really the point of friendship, was it?

Nobody is ever guaranteed a perfect friend, a perfect spouse, perfect parents, a perfect pastor, a perfect boss, a perfect anything. We’re not guaranteed a perfect world. Since when did that stop someone from doing what every fiber in their being wanted to do. I’m not saying, “Do whatever you want.” Don’t go around hurting people, or yourself for that matter. In fact, if what you want to do is curl up into a ball and roll off the stage and into some dark, riskless corner, I’d highly encourage you to do the opposite.

Everyone is going to screw up trying to live out love, speak the Gospel, be separated to God, be a friend, hold a meaningful relationship. That’s almost a guarantee, but an even better guarantee is that succeeding to do something good, especially your relationship with Jesus, is worth the risk of failure to get to the end of it.

Those questions from before: “What if I make some mistake and God kicks me out, or what if I’m laughed at for something I say?” I asked those questions once. I’d be lying to say that I have never asked them since. But now I know better. I know now that those are the wrong questions. The right question is, “Does Jesus really love me?” The answer is yes. The deeper you begin to accept the depths of His love, the more you’ll realize that He’s not looking for an excuse to push you away, and He’s waiting on the other side of whatever it is you’re going through, be it a hardship, or be it a sin you’re trying to overcome.

So when you feel like you’re on the stage and you’re about to choke, just remember that Jesus loved you before you stood up, and He will love you still after it’s over. Sing for Him.