My commercial pilot husband tells me that before taxi, pilots sometimes would say: “The only thing keeping us here is fear.” (That’s a joke, travelers!)
Is that true in your life? Is fear the only thing keeping you in a bad situation? Is fear keeping you from doing something you know is right?
How do you do what you need to do even though you are afraid? How do you do it scared?
What not to do
When Moses sent out twelve men to spy out the land, ten reported back that the people were too strong for them and that they could not take the land. They said: “we became like grasshoppers in our own sight” (Numbers 13:33).
The Lord promised to give them the land, but the ten forgot His promise and relied on their own sight, their own judgment.
They allowed their fear to keep them from acting.
What to do
Queen Esther needed to approach the King to save the Jews from destruction. However, going to the King without being summoned was a potential death sentence. Her uncle told her: “Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” She determined to approach the King. “I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4: 14, 16).
Queen Esther knew she might be killed. But approaching the king was the right thing to do. So she prepared to do it scared. She, her maidens, and the Jews in Susa fasted for three days. When she approached the king she had on her royal robes.
She managed her fear and acted.
How do you do the right thing even though you are afraid?
Paul said in Macedonia there were “conflicts without, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:5). Paul didn’t tell us about his fears, but the Bible tells us a lot about how to keep going.
1) When you know the right thing to do, deliberately choose to do it. Remember, not acting is also a choice. Choose whom you serve (Joshua 24:15, Hebrews 11:25).
2) Remind yourself who God is. God is in control, and He loves you. Fear God, not your circumstances. Look at what you need to do through eyes of faith. “Do not be afraid … remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight . . . ” (Nehemiah 4:14).
3) Remember, God is with you and God is for you. You are not in this alone. Remember your value to God. (For example, Luke 12:28, Philippians 3:20, 2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 2:16.) You are a child of the King. Set your hope on Him. You can do it.
4) Determine to act. Determine to trust Him. “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You” (Psalm 56:3). “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). We are not in control, but we are deeply loved by the One who is.
5) Change your focus. “Set your mind on things above” (Colossians 3:2). Set your mind on God’s interests (Mark 8:33). Do not focus on “what if.” Don’t focus on outward things (2 Corinthians 10:7). Keep your eyes on God. Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Peter became frightened when he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind (Matthew 14:30). We can’t directly eliminate fear, but we can substitute fear with faith, thereby driving out the fear.
6) Determine to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
Questions for you:
When do you tend to act (or not act) out of fear rather than faith?
When have you determined to act, even though you were scared?
What advice do you have for others?
