Live Without Fear

The pool in our backyard had just been completed, and all my children except one jumped in without a second thought, without fear. But my youngest was four years old, and until now, he hadn’t been around much water.

As I helped him put on his bathing suit, I told him how much fun he was going to have swimming with his brothers and sister. He turned to me and said, “I’m not going in.” No explanation. Just no. He wasn’t even going to try. He was too scared of the unknown.

Isn’t this how many of us react to a new opportunity, especially one that feels intimidating? Instead of seeing it as a potential great experience, we tune in to our internal monologue and allow fear to hold us back. Facing the unknown can be overwhelming. We feel helpless. Confused. We don’t know how it will end.

All my life I’ve wanted to see the end before I began. A new idea would enter my mind, and I would quickly dismiss it for all the reasons I thought it wouldn’t work. I wanted the guarantee of success before even taking the first step. Some call this being a realist, and some call this walking in wisdom. Either way, this mindset kept me bound with fear, never moving forward in my Christian journey.

Are you standing in the doorway of opportunity with fear creeping in? Are you feeling unqualified? Overwhelmed? Maybe even discouraged and frightened of the unknown? Fear tells us to not even start. Fear floods our minds with everything that could go wrong to the point that we never move forward with anything. If we’re not careful, fear will hold us back from God’s promises.

Fear Whispers Lies

Fear whispers, It will never work out. You will never be good enough.

What starts out as a small whisper eventually becomes a defending roar. Fear accompanies you on the verge of your promise. You’re on the edge of experiencing something tremendous and questions of doubt flood your mind. This is what happened when the ten scouts went into Canaan to check out the promised land in the book of Numbers. Their debriefing to the Israelites at first seemed to be going well—until they began to size themselves up against the giants in the land. Comparison will get you every time.

“We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit. However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified…We can’t go up against the people because they are stronger than we are!” (Numbers 13:27–28, 31 HCSB)

They believed fear more than God himself.

Fear Disorients Us

As a result of the pessimistic report given to the Israelites, their faith in God was shaken. They chose fear over faith. They began to believe that God had been deceiving them and that the promised land was meant for their death and not for their blessing. The Israelites thought the bondage of Egypt was better than the promised land would be.

The scouts allowed fear to disorient their senses, and they said, “To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them” (Numbers 13:33 HCSB).

Have you allowed fear to disorient you? Maybe, as it did for the Israelites, what seems impossible has distorted your thinking.

Fear Causes Us to Shrink Back

The unfavorable report was the last straw for the Israelites. They all began to complain and say, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4 HCSB).

Just as it did for the Israelites and my son at the pool, fear robs us of joy and peace and prevents us from walking forward in faith. Even now I remember ways fear has kept me bound. I know firsthand that fear ultimately will hold us back from walking in destiny and purpose. I often look for a plan to secure my peace, but God’s plans often require faith.

What makes us walk forward in faith isn’t how things appear but who lives in us. It’s choosing to believe the promises of God in the face of our fears. Joshua and Caleb, in Numbers 14, reported the land was good and that there was no cause for fear. They charged the people to believe the Lord despite their doubt and unbelief. They said, “Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:9 HCSB).

On that hot summer day, I smiled, took my son’s hand, and guided him outside. Together, we got into the pool, where he slowly learned to swim and enjoy the water.

God Is Faithful

It’s not always easy to actively believe God despite what our eyes see and our minds understand. I can’t promise anything will still work out as you thought even when you believe; nobody can predict the future. I can guarantee, though, that just like I was there for my son, God will be right there with you, supplying the power you need to walk in faith.

Ephesians 1:19 says to keep “your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” (MSG).

Take comfort in knowing you’re not alone. When we face something hard, there stands Jesus. As we walk forward, he folds our hands into his and whispers, “I am right here with you. I love you.”

Be assured. God is faithful. He will not abandon the work of his hands.

Lea Turner is a wife and mother of five, three who grew in her belly and two in her heart through adoption. She is on a journey of resting fully in the love of the Father by letting go of striving and walking fully in her identity. She has a passion to inspire others to work from a place of rest rather then strive from a place of anxiety. Lea blogs at LeaTurner.com.

Photograph © Marina Vitale, used with permission