The "F" Word

The "F" word. It's such a bad word that many of us never want to admit we use it. We think it. We ponder it, but we dare not say it. We dare not admit that we struggle with it. We call it other things . . . introvert, cautious, careful, or my all time favorite, "practical." But really, we need to call it what it is. F-E-A-R.

Fear destroys our destiny and keeps us stuck in today with no hope for tomorrow. I will be honest to say that fear has controlled my life for quite some time. If you were a friend of mine in the late 90's and dropped me off at home when the house was vacant, you knew your role: you had to get out of your car and come "check the house" with me. We would look under beds, in closets, in the refrigerator (what?!) . . . all so that we could pounce on that burglar before he pounced on me! I had convinced myself that there was always someone lurking in the shadows waiting to attack. I had 9-1-1 on speed dial and would call them whenever I heard a scary noise. No lie. At one point, after I got married and moved out on my own, the police department threatened to fine me if I called them again with one more false alarm! So, I stopped calling them, but nonetheless, I was still fearful.

We lived in a safe neighborhood and no one else's house had been broken into, but that didn't matter. It's only a matter of time, I thought, Eventually, someone is going to break in here. That's because fear has been described as "False Evidence Appearing Real." It took a lot of praying, reading Psalm 91 and calls to my best friend at midnight (if my husband wasn't home) to overcome that fear of my home being burglarized.

But, the "F" word didn't leave me. It simply attached itself to another situation and I became fearful of other things. The Bible teaches that fear is a spirit (2 Timothy 1:7) that does not come from God. It is sent by the enemy to torment, depress and stifle you. It will choke the very life out of you if you allow it. 

Now that I am a businesswoman, I still face fear. Fear of talking to others, fear of rejection, fear of not meeting my goals, fear of looking stupid. What about you? What are you afraid of?

I am learning that no matter what fear you face, the antidote is ACTION! Take massive action toward the very thing you're afraid of, and you will knock that fear giant right on its tail! I'm all in today!! How about you?