What are you afraid of? Seriously… let’s skip past all the fluff of writing a catchy introduction paragraph to this post and just get down to the nitty gritty? What are you afraid of?
For me.. sometimes I can become so afraid of failure I can’t see straight. Other times I can become afraid of success, so I sabotage myself before I can get there. Jesus has been healing me from a deep fear of rejection for the last couple of years. I still find parts of it sneaking up now and again. And spiders.. Yes.. spiders. Stupid, stupid spiders.
What are you afraid of?
Really… what are you afraid of?
What do you dream about doing in your life, but you can’t make yourself take the next step because you’re paralyzed with fear? What fear is keeping you from having healthy relationships? What fear is keeping you from moving to a new job? What fear is controlling you from handing that addiction over to God?
What are you afraid of?
Answering That Question with Honesty
Until you can answer that question honestly, the enemy will continue to hold you back from the life God has designed for you – a life full of joy, wisdom, love, peace, and the list goes on… Until we can answer that question honestly, Galatians 5:22 is only an idea.
Cora Jakes Coleman writes in her amazing book, Ferocious Warrior, “The things that scare you can either stop you or elevate you.” It’s true. We’ll either be so paralyzed by fear we stay stuck in that sinking sand until become so buried in the quiksand we can never get out or we’ll step out in the fear, do it afraid, fight our battles with the strength God offers to us, and conquer things we never thought possible. The choice is up to us.
Coleman continues… “How you respond to the fear will determine whether you reach the place of victory.”
How I respond to that fear of failing will decide whether I pursue the dreams God has called me to, which are usually drastically outside my comfort zone.
How I respond to that fear of success will determine whether or not I truly believe my identity in Christ and have enough faith in Him to pursue the life He designed for me. When I sabotage myself it’s because I don’t fully believe what He says about me.
How I respond to that fear of rejection will determine whether or not I allow safe people in to my life. It will determine whether or not I do life alone or with those He’s put into my life.
And spiders.. well.. let’s not talk about that.
We Must Know Our Identity
I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll keep saying it, if I’m the only one who believes it…. “When we know who we are in Christ, our decisions reflect that. When we don’t know who we are in Christ, our decisions reflect that.”
When we’re choosing fear over faith, we’re refusing to believe who God says we are. When we’re choosing fear over ferocious faith, we’re making decisions based off our feelings, not God’s truth.
When he tells us He will go with us and hold our hands, He means it. When He tells us that He’s given us a sound mind to trump the spirit of fear, He means it.
When He calls us His beloved, He means it. When He calls us His righteousness, He means it. When He says He values us, He means it. But if we don’t stand on those truths and believe who we are in Him, we’ll give way to fear every time.
Cora writes, “Your elevation to ferocious faith is going to come when you are ready to stop being broken by your fear and stand up to the inner enemy that says you aren’t good enough.”
So… what are you choosing to believe today? That you aren’t good enough or that You are so loved by God that with His strength you can conquer the darkness and all the plans the enemy brings against you?
What are you afraid of?
What do you need to give to God today? Where do you need His strengths? Where do you need His promises to invade the lies of the enemy? Who do you need Him to be for you today so that you can conquer fear and live with ferocious faith?
When we find the answer to those questions fear will become a stepping stone to victory instead of a stumbling block.
Let’s live with ferocious faith. Are you in?