Overcoming FearSample

What Do You Fear?

First of all, take a moment to pinpoint all the places that you have given in to fear. Fear comes in a lot of forms, and not all of them are as obvious as the ones that may first come to mind. When I looked into this in my own life, I discovered that not only did I have the obvious fear about my husband’s diagnosis, but I had lived so long with some subtle fears in my life that I hadn’t realized they were there and had accepted them as a part of me. I had even attributed them to my personality. You may have some of these fears as well! Can you identify with any of the following?

Perhaps you have a fear of the future. You may constantly low-key live in this state of fear. Even when things are going well, somewhere in the back of your mind, you may be wondering how you will handle whatever potential disaster comes your way. Maybe you hear others’ stories, even mine here, and a sense of dread settles in your heart because you fear that you won’t have what it takes to handle something difficult.

Maybe it’s a different kind of fear, such as the fear of rejection or fear of what people think of you. This is called the fear of man (Proverbs 29:25). You have a hard time putting yourself out there to make friends, or you struggle with totally being yourself and vulnerable to others for this reason. I had always identified as shy - even from my earliest report cards, this is what teachers said about me. I thought it WAS me, but as I conquered fear, it turned out that I had been wrong about myself for my whole life. I had been crippled with fear in the area of relationships. After I was set free from this fear, the change in my personality was remarkable. I went from being one of the quietest people in the room to being viewed as an extrovert everywhere I went.

You might have fear around finances and be afraid of you or your husband losing a job. Or you worry at night about your child’s faith and don’t know how to handle his or her doubts about God.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? I certainly did! You might struggle with a different fear not named here. There are so many! Take some time to identify your fears; you might be surprised at some of them. And you may be surprised at the amount of fear that you carry as well. I know I was! I had all of these fears and more! I had never stopped to consider them or list them out, and when I did, I was shocked at the sheer amount of fear I had been living with, submitting to, and allowing to control me. So if you find that you have quite a few, know that you are far from alone. There is no shame or condemnation in this! You have to recognize the problem before you can deal with it. Take a detailed and realistic inventory and make sure you don’t skip this important step. It is key to your freedom!

Prayer for today: Lord, thank you that I am more than a conqueror through you. Thank you for your divine wisdom and insight into my fears. Help me to identify the fears that are holding me back. I want them out of my life so that I can truly live the free, abundant life you have for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.