Fear…

Glass Skywalk

Fear has been on my mind for the last few days, but not for the reasons you would think. I have been focusing on why we are fearful, not what we are scared of.  

There are 100% legitimate things to be scared of out there, but most of what we fear doesn’t meet that standard. For instance, doing something dangerous that you have a pretty good likelihood of being physically hurt, legitimate. Having fears of what could happen if we try something new, change jobs, etc, I think that is nonsense.  

I believe a lot of people, myself included, confuse fear and concern. I wholeheartedly believe in being concerned about making the right decisions, but I don’t think we should live in fear of those things. Fear robs joy, prosperity, opportunity, and exhilaration. If we live in fear, we are kept in our “safe places” doing the same things over and over. No sense of adventure or growth. I think God gave us discernment within our hearts to know when it’s appropriate to be fearful, and I think the enemy exploits that ability to keep us in contempt. Concern is the more appropriate response in most situations.  

I’ve read that some say fear is irrelevant, that there is no use for it. Their perspective is that fear is a construct of your mind about things out of your control, and by that definition, fearful or not, you won’t change the outcome of the situation. I agree with most of it, but like I said earlier some fear is real and healthy. The trick is getting yourself outside of your comfort zone without fear, trusting yourself, and knowing it’s ok.  

So I say, “start that new job”, “plan that exciting trip”, “experience new things”, “sit in a different spot at church”, etc. Don’t fear change, embrace the trivial things that used to cause fear in yourself.  

Go be uncomfortable and achieve what you used to be scared to do!