“I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed be from all my fears.”—Psalm 34:4 (NLT)
Everyone on earth is here on a mission. Whether you know it or not, you have a job to do, a mission to fulfill before leaving this earth. Yet, you may be too afraid to step out in faith and do anything about it. You may be afraid of what people may think, what they may say, or how they may treat you, once you put yourself out there. Worst of all, you may be afraid of failing at what you set out to do.
But, take courage, my friends. God’s got your back, and just as David did in Psalm 34:4, you, too, can pray to the Lord and be set free from all your fears. Before I came to that realization, I had a lot of fears that kept me paralyzed and bound, preventing me from walking in the freedom that was already paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ. I knew that I had a gift and a calling on my life, but I was too afraid to step out and share my gift with the world.
My fear was cloaked in shyness and self-consciousness, but God set me straight through His word. One scripture in Proverbs 29:25 (NET Bible) says: “The fear of people becomes a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be set on high.” And through many other references, God told me that His approval is the only one that matters; that I should not be afraid of what man can do to me. I felt convicted in my soul for allowing my fear of “man” to supersede the fear of God. I had respected the opinion of others more than God’s opinion, and I felt bad about it.
So, I decided that I did not want to hurt the One who sacrificed His Son for me anymore. I was keenly aware that we sin and hurt God when we choose to live in fear instead of faith. And, yes, it is a choice, albeit a hard choice. Nevertheless, faith and fear cannot occupy the same space, and we must make the wise choice to walk in faith. For “without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)
Are you afraid of stepping out in faith and walking into your destiny? Fear is a very real and common thing. It can keep you paralyzed for years, as you analyze all the “what ifs” that could happen. Yet, even though fear may be all around you or has had a hold on you, let this be the year, the month, the day, the hour, or the moment that you get free and move forward with what you are called to do. Kick your fear in the rear and get on with your mission!
A Wellspring Of Thought 