The thing to fear is not fear…but what fear can do

Fear is such a natural reaction. It is a very strong emotion that comes upon us as human beings when we feel in danger; when we feel vulnerable; when we feel encroached upon. Yes, when we do not have a safety net. Fear is a real thing. It is very strong. It can take over our physical being and make us sick. It can paralyze you!

And yet despite its power, if rejected, fear can become nothing. Like a cloud that melts away, it can dissipate. It puffs away. Fear does not have to be so strong in our lives. We don’t have to always tolerate it and bow to it. We don’t have to allow it to have a go and take a hold. We should not allow it to write our agenda for the day, week, year….life. We should reject it. Shout out, ‘no!’ to your fear!

I am now sure that it is not really fear that we should fear, but what it could make us do. Fear can paralyze you. It could put you in a wheel chair. It can stop you from making any decision whatsoever. It can derail any hope. It can simply put a stop to you. I believe that is what we must fear. I mean stopping because of fear. My approach is this, and I learnt this from one of my sons. He said, ‘Mom, we cannot be timid. We cannot let fear stop us. Do what you have to do and let it fall where it may. At least you will know you have done it, and if it falls, you are picking up some pieces and learning at the same time.’ Of course, doing it is really trusting in God. God is a Spirit. He asks or leads us to do things that are far above us and far below Him. He has seen the end. He is Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is our deliverer and rescuer according to Daniel 6:27. I understood what my son was saying. Fear will stop you from going forward; It has such great power to do that. It will paralyze. It will overwhelm. It will slow down. It will cause self-doubt. And so one can be in the same spot for 5 years; all because of fear. If fear is able to paralyze you, then it has won.

The best approach for a child of God is to reject fear. It is like a robustly blown balloon. Rejecting fear pops the balloon, and then you will see that fear was really nothing. It was simply hoping to push itself on you, and if you take the bait, then it has won because it had nothing before you accepted it, and would have amounted to nothing if you had rejected it.

Linda Faith

Linda faith is the Editor in Chief of Jewels Magazine. She co-pastors along with her husband Revival Worship Church, Tampa. She is a prolific writer and powerful speaker, inspiring many women to be all God has called them to be. She is the founder of Joy Women’s conference which reaches out to empower, inspire and motivate women in their faith walk.

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