I Can and I Will Through God’s Power - 7 Ways to Live Boldly for Christ by Ayub PaulSample

4. Stop living in fear, God has called you to be a mighty warrior

According to scientific research, all humans have general fear, such as fear of loud sounds or fear of falling but most fear is learned over time. Even though fear tends to hold a negative connotation, have you noticed that fear many times plays an important role in our lives as well? In the context of the law, ‘fear of breaking the law’ creates a civilized society. Within the context of relationships, the ‘fear of hurting a loved one’ helps us remain faithful and loving towards each other. Within the context of God, ‘reverential fear of God’ gives us wisdom, helps us to honour God in every area of our lives, and enables us to live a fulfilled life. Then there is the fear that many of us go through in our daily lives, the crippling fear, the fear that prevents us from progressing in our professional and spiritual lives. This fear stems usually from difficult circumstances, two-faced friendships, unhealthy families, or a negative community. Here are three strategies to break free from fear.

(i). Get out of your comfort zone (Deuteronomy 31:6)
When you are a believer, you are a warrior, and you have to constantly fight against all demonic forces that bring fear into your life. The Bible commands us to be strong and courageous. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) For us to be strong and courageous we must start by identifying the root cause of our fear. It often involves looking deeply into your past experiences and recognizing what has triggered fear in us. For me, it was the environment I grew up in and the cultural shock. Often it is our environment, people, or life events that bring about fear in our lives and to overcome this fear we cannot look at someone or something to help us, we must look within. If you feel strong and courageous from within, you can deal with any kind of fear. Once I recognized this, the Lord provided help.

(ii). Eliminate the negative thoughts and people (Proverbs 29:25)
There is a lot of negativity in the world because it is a broken world. You will have many critics in life when you are trying to live a Godly life. However, you must remember that God has made you in His image and you do not need to believe everything people say about you. Let the truths of the Scripture guide you in discerning whether something aligns with God's perspective. Fear of people can exist in many forms especially when you feel the pressure to seek others’ approval or keep up a certain “image.” It can cause you to feel anxious and be unsure about your choices. It is a burden you should not have to carry. All this can cause you to have negative thoughts which are not from God. It is absolutely fine to distance yourself from any relationship that constantly brings you down. These negative voices might even come from people close to you, like family or friends. While God teaches us to love others, there are times when you must love from a distance to protect the peace of your mind and spirit. Remember, you will not move forward if being around certain people forces you to make ungodly decisions and creates an ongoing internal battle between your flesh and the Lord’s Spirit. Give yourself the freedom to establish godly standards in your life for your relationships. Surround yourself with people of God and read the Word of God so you are equipped to carry out these friendships as well. Positive thoughts and people will enrich your lives. Negative thoughts and people will diminish your light, dull your potential, and steal your joy.

(iii). Learn from Failures
Remember, failures are merely stepping stones on the path to success. They are not the end of the road; they are essential parts of the journey. I came across an inspiring picture of a juggler on the internet. In the picture, there was a long stairway leading up to the stage. On the stage, the juggler was performing a perfect act. He was juggling all these plates, throwing them in the air without a single drop. The audience looked at the juggler in awe, applauding for him. However, if you looked behind him, there was an entire area with broken plates, showing all the hard work a juggler had to get through to become an excellent juggler. It was a very powerful metaphor to encourage you to keep trying despite multiple failures and eventually, you will get to success. Each time you fail, think of it as a learning experience. You learn something valuable that helps you get closer to your goal. It is all about resilience and not letting setbacks keep you down. Therefore, if you are struggling with fear or failure, remember that it is okay to fail. It is not a sign of weakness or a reason to give up. Instead, take it as a challenge to overcome, an opportunity to grow. The key is to keep on trying, learning, and moving forward, no matter how many times you stumble. If you keep pushing and staying faithful to the Lord you will be successful.