A dear friend of my mine once asked me a question that provoked me to do some serious introspection. He asked, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
Hmmm. I had to stop and honestly think about that for awhile. Up until his question, I didn’t think I was afraid of anything, but now I was re-evaluating. Perhaps my friend was on to something. After all, why couldn’t I seem to dream big dreams? Why couldn’t I sometimes be as bold as the man inside of me wanted to be? Why couldn’t I commit to anything worth committing to? And why couldn’t I overcome my giants?
The truth was….I was afraid. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was living my life beaten down by my own intimidation, stripped of my potential by my own trepidation. I always thought that it was because I was too weak, too incapable, too unqualified, to do anything of real importance. I thought it was apparent to all that I was destined for the mundane.
No. These were just pathetic excuses covering up my fear; they justified my paralyzed nature, my apathetic behavior, to do anything that might just very well unlock the seismic potential that was trapped inside me.
That day, I didn’t want to be afraid anymore, and perhaps today, you don’t either. Take a moment and just think about the question. What could you be, what could you do, if you just stopped being afraid? Would you take that class? Would you shoot for that job? Would you forgive that person? Would you commit yourself to that ministry that God has been calling you to? What would you do? What would you be? How far would you go?
This question still motivates me to this day to never give in to my fears. The Bible talks about fear over 300 times and never once does it say anything about succumbing to them. Rather, in 2 Corinthians 3:17, it says, “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That means we have the liberty and the freedom to be exactly the man, the woman, that God designed and empowered us to be. Not by our own strength or abilities, but simply by living our daily life infused by the power of His Spirit. With God, indeed, ALL things are possible.
Psalms 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.