Read
Strategy 6: Your Fears (pages 105-118)
I have allowed fear to define me for far too long. Fear of disappointing others, fear of failing, fear of what might happen “if.” I’ve lost sleep over conversations I could have had, should have had, or might have in the future. I’ve worried my way out of saying “yes” to projects and experiences because they didn’t have a clear line to success. I’ve been afraid to look like a fool, afraid I’d be rejected, afraid I’d be left out.
And so, for years, this wall has built up around my heart. One brick at a time — one lie at a time — one fear at a time, until I’ve found myself so hesitant to do so much. I could have traveled abroad in college, but I was afraid. I could write a book, but I’ve faced too much rejection. I could launch my course, but what if no one needs it?
I’ve allowed the enemy to take a very useful tool that God has given us — the feeling of fear, to be used for our safety — and I’ve given it over to the one who turned it into a tool to use against me, to keep me stuck. Do you want to know when I realized the enormity of the lie that has taken a foothold into my life? When Priscilla talks on page 112 of Fervent about the more than 300 times God tells us not to be afraid — it made me feel like I’d failed. Somewhere I’d lost sight of the fact that “do not BE afraid” and “do not FEEL afraid” are not the same — so every time I felt fear or anxiety or worry, I doubted my faith in the very One who created me to feel that way.
Feeling fear is not a failure, friend. Feeding it is. Letting the enemy use it to build a wall of false protection around your heart only leaves you lonely and missing out on the blessings and miracles God wants us to experience. I don’t want to miss out anymore.
I will feel fear. But it will not define me.
What’s Next
For Friday, read Strategy 7: Your Purity (pages 119-131)
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Discuss
What in your life do you feel God is calling you to do, but fear has held you back from pursuing it? When have you felt fear but done “the thing” anyway — and was there a blessing you received through it?
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A self proclaimed “accidental community builder,” Crystal is a coffee and chocolate loving, full-time working mama married to her high school sweetheart. Crystal is passionate about cultivating a community where faith, fitness, and friendship come together. Creator and author of the Creative Basics: 30 Days to Awesome Social Media Art course, speaker, host of Write 31 Days, and the full-time Editorial and Marketing Manager at (in)courage, Crystal writes regularly at crystalstine.me. Crystal lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Matt, and daughter, Madison.