Always let your faith be bigger than your fear.

Always let your faith be bigger than your fear.

When I first started writing it was super scary. Some good friends encouraged me to do it, saying they thought it was a spiritual gift. I thought they were joshing with me as I never was very good at writing growing up. Plus, my memory of writing as a student was not a good one – writing was about as painful as pulling teeth.

What am I going to write about?
What if no one reads my writing? Man, that would make me look really foolish, right?
What happens if or when I run out of ideas?

The wall of fear with my writing dilemma was one of acceptance. I was establishing barriers to success before I even started. I had to overcome the vulnerability thing. This was scary. On the first day that I hit the publish button on my blog I felt about as exposed as a streaker running buck naked through Florida Field on a fall Saturday. “Have you no sense of decency, you silly joke of a man?” – these were the hateful words that went through my mind. Where do they come from? Need I say more…

“Fear is a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.” Donald Miller

One thing is for sure: whenever we fold due to fear we fail. Success is only an option when we convince ourselves to try. In that regard fear can be like a formidable brick wall.

I’ve faced other brick walls, but here’s the humdinger for me, always, for the big ideas of life that lie beyond the other side of fear:

There is one fear that helps me get through the brick walls that I face in life – it’s the fear of not knowing. Fear is temporary. Regret lasts forever. (Click To Tweet)

If I hadn’t written I would never know the joy it brings when someone tells me they loved my material.

If I hadn’t started my own business I would have been very disappointed in myself, never knowing if I could do it or not.

If I hadn’t stepped out in faith and turned it all over to God a few years ago, I would have never known the refreshing feeling of living every day as a portion of eternity.

If I hadn’t wrestled with and overcome my own vulnerabilities I never would have known the feeling of self-confidence and freedom I find in just being myself, and living in my own skin.

These have been my big ideas. I’ve heard that voice of invoked fear echoing in the background every time. It will always be there when we strive to do good. It remains as we go through the barrier, and then rise above the crowd. In fact, it’s not going away as long as we live in the conflict of the two ages. Pay no attention to the idle chatter of the evil one and his minions.

Always let your faith be bigger than your fear.

Do you have a brick wall of fear that you’re facing now? How have you been able to overcome fear in the past?

Image courtesy of “tomylees” on flickr.com