“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (New International Version)
For most of my adult life, I’ve let fear keep me timid. There were times when I would take a step forward and be bold. But most of the time, I didn’t. It wouldn’t matter how excited I was, or how much I longed to be a part of something special. Fear would hold me back. I would often ask myself, “Am I good enough? Am I smart enough, interesting enough?” And sometimes I’d even wonder, “Am I spiritual enough?”
If you’ve ever given in and let fear hold you back, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Fear will crush your dreams. It can cripple you, and keep you from doing the things you want to do most.
Then something changed. Something happened in my life a couple of years ago and I had to face some very frightening realities. I knew the only way I could face them was with Jesus by my side.
A dear and wise friend told me God did not give us a spirit of fear. She’s absolutely right.
The Bible is full of wonderful, hope-filled scriptures that I pray will help us all come through our fears with the peace that only He can give us.
If you’re hampered by fear, I would encourage you to pray about it and remember this scripture.
If you’ve ever given in and let fear hold you back, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Fear will crush your dreams. It can cripple you, and keep you from doing the things you want to do most.
Then something changed. Something happened in my life a couple of years ago and I had to face some very frightening realities. I knew the only way I could face them was with Jesus by my side.
A dear and wise friend told me God did not give us a spirit of fear. She’s absolutely right.
The Bible is full of wonderful, hope-filled scriptures that I pray will help us all come through our fears with the peace that only He can give us.
If you’re hampered by fear, I would encourage you to pray about it and remember this scripture.
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1
Know that you aren’t alone. Who knows what can happen when you let God be your wings. You can SOAR!
I wouldn’t presume to say nothing bad will ever happen, or that you won’t experience pain along the way. But Jesus can give you the courage to face your deepest fear and come out the victor. I know He did for me.
We all have something from our past to explain why we let fear get the better of us. But there comes a time when we have to conquer it. At least, that time came for me. I made the commitment to overcome my fears, and with God’s help, I’m doing fairly well. I won’t lie and say I’ve been able to obliterate all fear from my spirit. I still have this little germophobic thing I’m trying to deal with. But I’ve come a long way. Just a couple of months ago, I did this:
I wouldn’t presume to say nothing bad will ever happen, or that you won’t experience pain along the way. But Jesus can give you the courage to face your deepest fear and come out the victor. I know He did for me.
We all have something from our past to explain why we let fear get the better of us. But there comes a time when we have to conquer it. At least, that time came for me. I made the commitment to overcome my fears, and with God’s help, I’m doing fairly well. I won’t lie and say I’ve been able to obliterate all fear from my spirit. I still have this little germophobic thing I’m trying to deal with. But I’ve come a long way. Just a couple of months ago, I did this:
And I’m so glad I did. I had the best day with my son, a day I’ll treasure forever. If I had let my fear get the better of me, I don’t think my memories of that day would be as precious as they are.
God gave Abram the best reason of all not to fear: He promised to be his shield, and He promised to be his very great reward. He’s promising the same for us.
So take a chance. Spread your wings and fly, knowing you won’t be alone. God is with you, and He’ll bless you.
Auntie!! I believe that is Viper? And "X"? Wow! So proud of you because they are very scary! I go on most of them..but have become more timid as I've gotten older. I loved this post..I feel like fear holds me back from a lot of things. Sometimes it upsets me because I fear things that I never would've even thought twice about before. But, as I read my bible every night I have found verses that have helped and have started kind of a collage. When I find a verse that really speaks to me and gives me strength..I write it down on some pretty paper, and sick in on the side of my vanity mirrow and read them everday. Since I've been sick I will be honest that fear has sometimes consumed my life. But I feel God healing my heart, and I know I will be stronger soon. So, do you think we could get Grandma on those rides anytime soon? Or should we start her off on the Madderhorn again? :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post. I definitely suffer at times from allowing fear to grip me. Fear of failure, success, loss, swine flu, etc etc etc. Thank you for the powerful reminder, Suzie. God doesn't want me to live in fear, but to trust Him.
ReplyDeleteI have let fear hold me back most of my life- fear of not belonging, not being accepted. It is very frightening to think of all of the things we fear. Thank you Suzie for this lovely post. Tell Tiffany that I will ride the roller coasters with both of you!
ReplyDeleteHey Suzie,
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you got on those rollercoasters! If you can do that, you can do anything. If I did that, well, I don't want to disgust anyone, but if I did that, let's just say that I get car sick on winding roads.:)
I love to see writers encourage others to step out of their comfort zones, try new things, and find the strength they really have through Christ Jesus. Awesome, Suzie. Simply awesome!
Hey, Tiff, the purple one is called the Vortex and it has six inversions. Yikes! The yellow one is called Diamondback and it's a mile long. Not only that, it goes up almost three hundred feet and has a 90% inversion. It was quite, um, the thrill.
ReplyDeleteSusie D, thanks for stopping by! We just have to keep reminding each other to let go of our fears and know God will take care of them for us.
My dear Anonymous...I know who you are, and I'm so glad you stopped by. You are loved and accepted, and you don't have to go on the roller coasters. We still love and accept you.
Jillie, I get motion sickness sometimes, and I did get kind of dizzy on the Vortex. I had to close my eyes when it did those six inversions otherwise I would have gotten sick. Thanks for your very kind words!
Wow..I don't even think I could do those ones. Was it at Six Flags here in CA? I used to go on all of them with my dad..now it's Kyle's turn!
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