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What are you afraid of?
What is holding you back?
What turns your skin cold?
I have to tell you, I am scared to death.
I am scared of my dream failing. I’m at least equally as scared that my dream might succeed.
I am scared of disobeying God. I’m just about as scared of obedience given some of the things He is asking me to do.
I have generational fear. It goes way back. In fact, my fear is actually not as acute as the women who have gone before me. Women of faith. Yet women often paralyzed by fear. But this is what I know in the deepest core of my being:
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John 4:16-18
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Fear is not from God. Fear can not exist in the face of God’s love and His presence. {===>Click to Tweet}
I didn’t participate in that “my one word” for the year that you may have read about from other bloggers, but had I chosen a word it would have been courageous. I keep coming back to it. It seems every situation I’m faced with I hear a still small Voice saying “Be Courageous.” All year long I’ve found myself tackling one of my biggest demons: FEAR.
Courageous is defined by Merriam-Webster as having courage. Courage is defined as the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous. Do you know why I love the word courageous more than brave? Because when I looked up the definition of brave, I read that brave meant feeling or showing no fear. Courage, on the other hand, recognizes that you’ll probably start out afraid because you are doing something difficult or dangerous. But you do it anyway.
One third of the references to courage in the Bible contain this instruction from God to one seeking to follow Him: Be strong and courageous. Sometimes, there’s even a “very” thrown in before courageous when God instructs His servant – because in some circumstances, it takes an extra measure of courage to face the call ahead. Good or bad, stepping out, making a change, moving into unfamiliar territory can be terrifying. But God says do not fear.
Be courageous.
Let His perfect love cast out your fear. Call on Him, out loud, to drive it from the recesses of your mind or the corners of your home. Because do you know what He says immediately after that call to be strong and courageous? Over and over again He extends one of these promises: I will be with you. I will never leave you. I will not fail you. {===>Click to Tweet}
I stumbled up on this song, You Make Me Brave, a couple of weeks ago when I was grappling with fear in the face of a new circumstance. Even if you don’t listen to it all, start at about minute 3 and let this refrain play over and over again into your life. Go back and read God’s early instructions in Deuteronomy and Joshua as He calls His people to be strong and courageous. Let His love fill the spaces of your life that have been filled with fear.
You make me brave. You make me brave. You call me out beyond the shore into the waves.
You make me brave. You make me brave. No fear can hinder now the promises You make!
As your love, in wave after wave, crashes over me. For You are for us. You are not against us.
Photo Credit: blusterywishes.tumblr.com
Thank you Gindi. It is amazing how God places people, ideas and things in our lives. I recently discovered this song and had it on replay in my car all last week. It had that calming and healing quality for me too. Fear would also be one of my greatest challenges. Again thank you for sharing.
Catherine
Isn’t it crazy how God works like that Catherine – I will constantly get the same messages over and over when He’s in a season of instructing me. Thanks for coming over to share your heart today.
I just published a post on fear as well, although not as beautifully expressed as this 🙂 It is definitely a current theme in my life, and Is. 41:10 has come to me many times in the past months. I do have a one word for 2014 and it’s Trust. I am sure God gave it to me because He knew the fears I would encounter this year. One thing I noticed in Joshua 1:9, is not what comes after, but rather what precedes it – “Have I not commanded you?” God doesn’t suggest, imply, or hope we will be courageous – it is His command to us. That was a real aha moment for me. Love this song – never heard it before – thanks so much for sharing it and encouraging us with this post!
Oh I love that Toni. Both the verses and the insight that it’s HIS COMMAND not to fear! Thank you for sharing your wisdom today.
Thank you so much for speaking right to me today…I sit in here in tears because this is exactly where I am today. I took a huge leap of faith with a job and am scared for it to fail and at the same time scared for it to succeed, which I thought was nuts until I read you feel the same way. I need to cast out my fear to the Lord. I spent some time in prayer and writing this am….but satan is still lurking around me. Thank you for sharing your heart and this song. You are so brave <3
Oh Veronica – I know that feeling. I was there last February. Wanting so much for the change to be a good thing but almost scared of what that would mean too! I’m praying this job opens doors for God to reveal even more of Himself to you and that you would stand up to that old fear and say, We’ve won this battle, get out of here! Praying for you tonight.
Beautiful words today on courage. I needed this today and this week in such a GOD-Sized way. Thank you for sharing from your heart…xoxo, Meredith
Thanks so much for being a part of our community Meredith.
“Courage . . recognizes that you’ll probably start out afraid because you are doing something difficult or dangerous. But you do it anyway.” This is so freeing! I love how God is always patient and reassuring when it comes to our fears, yet at the same time calls us to be courageous. Two of my favorite verses regarding fear are “When I am afraid, I will trust in you,” (Psalm 56:3) and “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,” (Phil 4:5-6) Thanks for addressing this, Gindi!
I love that Phil 4 passage Kim – I have it running through my head constantly. Thanks for the encouragement today!