What are you afraid of? What have you allowed to stop you in your tracks? What has caused you to clam up? Hide in your shell? Settle? Lower your standards? Y’all, fear has MANY faucets! It can conceal and camouflage itself in such a way that you never know you’re functioning in it. And it can certainly be a major hindrance, the death of dreams, and even us!
For me, I sometimes wrestle with the fear of SUCCEEDING! Yes, you read that right! I let the thoughts get in my head that I can’t be successful in this or that because I won’t be able to handle the increase of responsibility.
Or should I slip through the cracks and become successful, then I will fail so badly I won’t be able to recover. That thinking kept me from stepping out of the boat for several years. And even now, I see it rear its messy head at times.
For some, fear keeps them from healing because of the work and sometimes pain that comes with the process. Others let fear keep them in toxic relationships or bad situations. The list goes on of fear holding people back in one way or another.
A major component of fear I have seen and experienced in my life is self-sabotage. The tricky thing about self-sabotage is when you think thoughts such as “I’m going to wait this out because I want to make sure I can do this,” or “I’ll get to this later,” or “I might as well do or eat _____ (fill in the blank) because I’m not going to be able to______ (fill in the blank) anyway.” As subtle and simple as those thoughts may seem, they are culprits, they are self-sabotaging, and they are rooted in fear.
When you get a chance, ask yourself if you’re letting fear keep you imprisoned. As I always say, be honest with yourself- that’s the only way healing and change can take place. Once you get your answers, sit with them before God.
Let’s do what Hebrews 4:16 implores of us, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Make the decision that you will work hard to destroy the grips of fear. How that looks depends on what type of fear you’re dealing with. You may need to ask for professional help, accountability, or develop healthy boundaries.
Whatever the case, understand this- change won’t come unless you decide to change! I encourage you to decide now that fear has to go.
For more resources on handling fear listen to our MercyTalk series on Overcoming Fear! Follow us on social media @MercyMultiplied for more daily inspiration and updates about our residential program.
