Delightinpurpose 2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control. BSB
I want to focus on our ability to be who we were truly created to be and do what we were destined to do beyond fear.
What are you afraid of? I ask myself this question often. I know what actions I need to take to progress, but I find myself in the same place I was years before. What is stopping me? Why can’t I move forward? I have the thoughts, the visions, but no progression. I am writing this post “Fearless” to remind myself and you that living a fearless life is beneficial to our wholeness and the wellness of others when we use our gifts to help others. A life of moving forward and doing the things we love, want, and desire to do is advantageous to all, but only if we use it the way God deemed it. But there is this struggle inside, or thought of what now?.. How did I get here?.. What if I fail? Fear majority of the time leads to thoughts of a negative outcome with no advancement. The fear of the unknown is holding you and me hostage. There are so many triggers of fear. This fear causes us to miss out on different experiences in life.
Why do we have these fears? How do we get out of this fear-provoking mindset? What steps can we take to overcome these thoughts?
CAUSE OF FEAR
According to the definition from dictionary.com, fear is an emotion caused by the detection of a forthcoming threat, whether it is actual or presumed.
Fear begins in our minds. It could be from a past childhood incident, something that happened during your teenage years, or even a situation that occurred in your adulthood.
As I think back to when I had to give a presentation in school. The teacher gave each of us a topic to speak on. I immediately thought I do not want to get up in front of everybody and talk. I was fine talking to a couple of people, but the whole class?! I was already frozen with fear in my mind. I gathered information as I prepared for the presentation. I brushed over the topic. I know I did not prepare for the talk as I should have. The day came and my name was called to present to the class. There I was standing in front of everyone, my palms were sweaty, my heart was beating fast and all eyes were staring at me. The strangest thing happened as I went to speak my throat got dry and I began to cough. The more I tried to clear my throat the worse it got. I talked around the coughs and said what I had written on my index cards. But that was the most uncomfortable, embarrassing moment. What I learned from that experience is: that my actions follow my thoughts, proper preparation is key, and always have a bottle of water with me!
FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF REASONS WE HAVE THESE FEARS:
Past incidents- You had an embarrassing situation that did not go well or in your favor and instead of learning and growing from that situation you allow that one embarrassing event to paralyze you.
Protection- We tell ourselves all of the things that did go wrong or could go wrong leaving out the possibility of all the things that would go right.
Learned response- Your family and friends or people you grew up around reacted to things with fear, so you do the same.
Fear of being judged or criticized-What are they going to think about me?
Fear of failure-How am I going to survive if this does not work?
Fear of success-If this thing works, how am I going to keep up with it?
We need to realize what we are told throughout our lives, such as, ‘that is impossible,’ ‘it will not work,’ ‘it is too difficult,’ ‘you cannot do it,’ or ‘you should not do it,’ are comments being made by people who do not understand your calling. It is an opinion coming from someone that does not have the dreams or visions you have.
HOW DO I OVERCOME THE FEAR?
You overcome the fear by facing it. When we face fear and fight through it, we grow. Then we will be able to help others grow.
Take the time to learn more about the thing that causes you to fear. Analyze it. Try to remember the first time you became afraid of that thing. What exactly happened? Does the fear occur when you are in a certain place? Does it happen at a certain time of the day? Keep a notebook or journal with you for a few weeks to record when the fear occurs. Document the thing that caused the fear and your responses to the fear. After a few weeks review your notes to see what is triggering your fear.
HOW AM I GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS FEARLESS LIFE?
To accomplish this fearless life, you must develop confidence and positivity. You need to know exactly what you want to overcome or accomplish. Connect with the right people who truly care for you and will encourage you through this journey. Imagine what it would be like when you overcome your fear. See yourself living this fearless life. Think about where you will go and what you will do. Create a mental picture.
FOCUS ON THE GOAL:
Know what you are trying to accomplish and set that forever before your eyes.
We do not know what each waking moment will bring. But we do know if we live a fearless life, not worrying about what others may say or think we can grow our vision into our destiny. God has a purpose for us. We have to stop ruminating on all of the what-ifs and what other people have to say and do what God has us here to do. Live F.E.A.R.L.E.S.S.!
