Capturing God’s vision for our lives is the first step, then comes the challenging part – translating that vision into action in our lives. One of the biggest challenges is overcoming the fear that accompanies walking the path God calls us to travel on.
Fear is a daunting adversary. It can be debilitating at times, numbing us to the truth and eroding our confidence. One of my favorite books is Frank Herbert’s Dune. In it, the lead character is taught an important truth that he must revisit on his way to fulfill his destiny. The simple, yet profound, truth is, “Fear is a mind-killer.” Fear can kill our ability to think clearly. It can sabotage our vision, and consume our energy. Fear is a potent enemy to our destiny.
The Apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Fear does not come from God, it is an attack upon our faith, and our future. That knowledge gives us a tremendous starting point to undermine the grip of fear in our lives.
Not only is God not the source of fear, the promise is that God gives us the tools to stand in victory in the face of our fears. God provides us with a powerful Spirit, his Spirit. We are also given the ability to think and act from a place of love; knowing that we are loved and that we are able to act in love. Our rooted place in God also yields clarity and soundness in the way we think. God is deeply invested in seeing that we are not overcome by fear, but that we overcome fear by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Consider just a few of the other biblical reference to victory over fear:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” – Psalm 23:4
“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1
“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.” – Psalm 118:6
“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” – 1 Chronicles 28:20
“So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
There are many more references, but the message is clear, God wants us to be free from fear because of our faith in him, and because we know God is with us. God did not bring us to where we are and give us a grand vision for the future only to abandon us. Despite our circumstances, we are in the hand of God.
When I was in undergrad, a group of us would meet on Sunday nights to sing praises to God, to listen to the word of God, and to be in prayer. It was a very difficult season for me, with many fears to face. Two of the choruses we sang profoundly inspired me. I found myself singing them frequently throughout the week. The first was a musical rendering of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for good to give to you a future and a hope.” The other was based upon Psalm 121:3, “He will not let you fall. He is never weary and he will not let you fall.”
God has good plans for us and God will not let us fall. Fear is based in the unknown, but we are known and we belong to a known God. Confronting our fears is not easy and it frequently requires us to keep moving forward, even when it feels like we cannot take another step. It is in those moments when we find it hard to breathe and our knees shake that we must encourage ourselves in the Spirit and take hold of the power, love, and sound mind God gives us. Then, when we come through, we will emerge with a testimony, a witness to the love and faithfulness of God.
As we embrace God’s vision for our lives, may we be strong and courageous!
