Facing Fear

We’ve all done it. Stood on the brink of something potentially great, looked over the edge and in fear, hesitated or even changed our mind before taking that leap of faith. Whether it was financial, relational, a health decision or a million other possibilities, everyone can relate to that feeling. As a kid I can remember being afraid of the boogie monster. To this day, I still don’t know who or what the boogie monster is, but I was still afraid. Just his name sounded scary enough for my imagination to run wild as soon as the lights went out in my bedroom. He was this nondescript creature lurking in the shadows, and though I had never seen or even heard him, I was convinced that he was there and was going to eat me.

I know you’re probably wondering what this has to do with you, and so I’ll tell you. I’ve come to realize that though my fear of the boogie monster faded away along with my childhood, fear itself still exists in my life. The monster still lives, he’s just taken on a different form. Now, instead of the fear of being eaten, the fear of being alone, forgotten, left in financial distress or other more adult problems plague my mind. These are the thoughts that end up controlling our decisions and sometimes leave us frozen, often mere inches away from our dreams.

It seems toI me that the ultimate purpose of fear is to stop advancement. I’ve spent many years battling the things I was afraid of, but I don’t think I ever really battled fear itself. The word of God says that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” These fears are not inspired by God, and I’m tired of letting them govern my life, stopping the advancement of God’s plan for me. With faith that the word of God is truth, we can defeat fear in our lives and live victoriously! We can let faith, rather than fear, be our guide.

My comparison of the boogie monster to the fears I have today go deeper still. Often the imaginations that are holding me back are unrealistic or unlikely. They aren’t thoughts founded on any sort of truth or pre-existing knowledge. Like the boogie monster, most of the time I have no evidence to support my fears. They are formed out of thin air, and yet I place my trust and belief in them before I believe what the word says. Just think what would happen if we could turn our fears inside out and discover the faith waiting to be revealed. His word also tells us that we have the power to make that change. So, face the fear. Fight with faith.

2 Tim 1:7

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