Do It Afraid

So I wrote about “do it anyway” a little while ago.  Press through and tackle that important goal or that lifestyle change, despite the little nuisances that seem to “pop up” when you’ve decided to make a change.  (If you haven’t read it click here)  But what happens when your nuisances are more than a baby that won’t sleep, or your job providing pizza the day you decide to eat healthy?  What happens when the battle is internal and feels paralyzing?  I’m referring to fear.  I like to think of fear as a big bully that won’t let you past.

Can I just be real?  I spent years, yes years submitting to fear.  It’s all fine and dandy to speak the Word “God hasn’t given me the spirit of fear, but of love power and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) but what happens after the confession or when that word hasn’t taken root in your heart yet?  Fear for me started out as a gentle nudging telling me what I couldn’t do, and specifically in regards to my purpose.  That gentle nudging turned into a big bully giving me reasons why any creative or witty idea I had weren’t going to work.   

• They are going to look at you funny. 
• Who are you to write that, or say that, or do that? 
• A million people are already doing that, and probably doing it better than you ever could. 
• No one is going to get involved with your cause or show up for you.  You don’t have the time to do that.”

These phrases would come like clockwork every time I decided that I was going to push myself and do what God was calling me to do.  Or when I decided I was going to step out and follow a dream or desire.  I would get so worked up about all of the what if’s, that I was defeated before I even started.  I allowed this bully to keep me from being.  That’s it, just being.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

So how I did I conquer my fear and get my life back?  What was the secret sauce that I used to stop being afraid and just do it?  Well to be honest there wasn’t any confession, cure, sauce, chant, or anything that I tried that kept fear at bay.  Think about that verse, “God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear…” nothing in that verse tells us that fear isn’t going to come, as a matter of fact it lets us know fear is out there, but when it does come, that spirit doesn’t come from God.  So if it’s not coming from God, then it’s only coming from one other place, and that’s the enemy.  It makes sense right?  Fear typically rears it’s ugly head when were about to do something meaningful, important, life changing, or purposeful in our lives.  And that doesn’t mean it has to be something “big”.  It can be making a small deliberate change to do things differently, or just starting on that idea.  If the enemy can keep us from even starting, then fear doesn’t have to work hard or at all on the “big” things.  

So where does that leave us?  I know I still haven’t told you what to do or what I do.  Well, I do stuff afraid.  And I have to constantly make myself do things afraid all the time.  Let me be clear, ALL THE TIME.  Just by doing it afraid I’ve learned that faith and action are the enemies to fear. Sitting around praying for God to release us of this fear isn’t going to cut it, you have to actually do something. The point is that you don’t have to submit to fear.  You don’t have to allow it to keep you from starting.  
The second part of 2 Timothy 1:7 is so great because it also reminds us of some of the things that God did specifically give us, like power, love, and the ability to make sound judgments.  Again those things mean nothing if we don’t use them. If I give you a watch and you never take it out the box but just look at it from time to time, you are not using that watch to its full potential. It’s the same idea, God has given us power, love, and the ability to make sound judgments or decisions, so we have to choose to use those things. Choose to do that thing in the face of fear. We have control over what we do. (Take that fear *insert karate kick*)

So after you’ve done it afraid then what? Keep doing it! You may not be able to control the fear but you do have the power to control yourself.  You owe it to yourself to be your best self.  Live Convinced.

What are you going to start doing in the face of fear? Comment below