Tag Archive | fear

Facing a Fear? Do It Afraid!

Jan11

Graduation Day: Mother, me, and Miles

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).

Making changes and facing challenges can often brings thoughts of fear. Can I really do this? What if I fail? What will others think?

Changes and challenges. Sometimes when I face a change or challenge–like when I confront someone, change jobs, or re-evaluate priorities and commitments–I feel paralyzed with fear. Then, I spend more of my energy dreading the inevitable than actually “doing it.”

Deadlines. In college, fear often overwhelmed me at the beginning of a new semester or when I faced a deadline or test. I would think, How can I possibly do all this in just a few weeks or days? How can I remember all those details?

Success. But I found success as I took each assignment or test one at a time. And then, when the next test, assignment, or semester rolled around, and fear attempted to paralyze me again, I’d remind myself of my previous victories.

Fearless. As I face more challenges this year, I pray that I’ll remember to “do it afraid.” I’ve decided not to allow the voice of fear to keep me from going forward in my life. I’m choosing to walk by faith, not by fear.

How do you face your fears? 

Karen Jordan encourages others to “tell the stories that matter most.” Find links to her writing workshops, speaking topics, and other online connections on her personal blog/website (www.karenbarnesjordan.com).

Looking Back at One Word 2012: Fearless

Jan4

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (1 Timothy 1:7 NLT)

One Word 2012. When I thought about what “one word” I could choose for 2012, the word “fearless” flashed in my thoughts like a lightning bolt.

I knew that I needed to face some fears to go forward with some projects, plans, and dreams this year. And I thought the title of Joyce Meyer’s book captured this principle well: Do it Afraid! Obeying God in the Face of Fear.

Fearless. So, what does “fearlessness” look like in the real world? Or rather, what does “fearlessness” NOT look like?

Flag. First Timothy 1:7 says, “… God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” So, if I find myself being controlled by fear and timidity, that’s a big red flag–I’m not listening and obeying God’s Voice.

First Step. But how do we begin to walk in “power, love, and self-discipline”? I believe the first step is to confess my fears. James 5:16 says, “Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]” (AMP).

Face Reality. Until we face reality, we cannot find the truth. And God’s Word promises us that we can “know the truth, and the truth will set (us) free” (John 8:32).

Focus. So, as I began this 2012, I chose to focus on God’s promises, not my fears or my circumstances. “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love” (1 Cor. 6:13 NLT).

Future. What is my “One Word 2013″? I’ll share that thought in my post next week.

Photo/KarenJordan

What is your “One Word 2013”?

Karen Jordan encourages others to “tell the stories that matter most.” Find links to her writing workshops, speaking topics, and other online connections on her personal blog/website (www.karenbarnesjordan.com).

A Lesson from the Waiting Room

Aug2

The LORD said to (Elijah), “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there ….” (1 Kings 19:15)

One minute Elijah was running from his enemy, hiding in a cave, and crying out to the Lord. And the next moment, God was sending him on his way to his next assignment.

Can you relate to Elijah in this story? I can.

Waiting rooms. That seems to be the way life goes in most waiting rooms. You arrive in a state of panic. And you may sit, paralyzed by fear, for hours, days, weeks, or even years.

Then, one day, it’s over. It ends as fast as it started. And you’re on the road to the next life-changing event—maybe a crisis or even a new adventure or challenge, like another job, relationship, or location.

That’s where I am right now—going forward to the next phase of my life, just like Elijah. All of a sudden, I’m being called out of my safe, little hideaway, and I’m on the road to the next adventure.

Road to recovery. I’ve been hiding out in my cave for awhile now—fearful of any new commitments or change, crying out to the Lord for guidance, and waiting for clear direction for my future. And new direction requires making many decisions, leaving my cave, and traveling down a new road.

Maybe it’s best that life works this way after the waiting room. The winds of life pick you up and move you forward. And the sudden rush of the wind leaves you with no quality time to spend over-analyzing the situation.

Gratitude. But I do want to take a moment to express my gratitude for my new adventure and for the lessons that I learned in my cave.

I don’t want to re-live this last waiting room experience, but I did learn some tremendous truths in the process. And although I still battle some of the same old enemies of my mind, I know I’ve become an overcomer now, not just a survivor.

Photos/Dan Jordan

What lessons have you learned in the waiting rooms of life? 

Karen Jordan writes creative nonfiction about her faith, family, and writing. She also encourages others to “tell the stories that matter most” in her writing workshops, her blog, BLESSED Legacy Stories, and her website (www.karenjordan.net).

Related articles

An Impossible Dream?

Apr26

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear with unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go

(Joe Darion, “Impossible Dream” )

Recently, on the WordServe Water Cooler, I shared a story from my academic journey a few years ago in Spain–Sergio: A Memoir from My Writing Life.

My writing life has taken me in a different direction from learning a second language now, as I pursue writing for publication. But during that particular season of life in Spain, God taught me a lot about His strength and my weaknesses.

Sometimes God leads us to do the impossible. I’ve written more about “Facing the Impossible” on my personal blog.

In Spain, immersed in another culture and language, I discovered that I had taken on something far beyond my own abilities. I had heard that people tend to “rise to their level of incompetence” (Peter Principle). I experienced that reality in Spain.

I felt I’d been pacing myself quite well, as I pursued a course of study as a nontraditional student. But after a few weeks in Spain, I lost all energy and crashed—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. As they say in the sports world, I “hit the wall.”

But in the process, I also re-discovered several important spiritual truths.

  • Some things are impossible to do in my own strength. “Humanly speaking, it is impossible …” (Matt. 19:26 NLT).
  • All things are possible with God. “… But with God everything is possible.” (ibid.)
  • I can do anything God calls me to do. “… I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).
  • God will complete the work that He began in me. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within (me), will continue his work until it is finally finished …” (Phil. 1:6).
  • God gives me His strength, when I am weak. “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
In looking for a clip of “The Impossible Dream,” I found this scene from Man of La Mancha, ”which was … inspired by Miguel de Cervantes‘s seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote. It tells the story of the “mad” knight, Don Quixote, as a play within a play, performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition” (Wickipedia)
 
YouTube/nibelungenstar (from Man of La Mancha, 1972, directed by Arthur Hiller)

What impossible task do you face today?

Related articles

Out from Under the Overhead Cart

Apr17

My friend, Carolyn, asked me if I was doing any writing. She’d been asking for months, and aways the answer was the same.

“Not yet.”

Although I felt God’s call on my life to write, I was terrified. The conviction twisted my insides into knots.

A few days later, an old memory replayed in my mind.

“Your assignment is to give a three- to five-minute demonstration speech. We will begin presenting next Monday.”

Those words from my seventh grade English teacher sent my stomach on an elevator ride to my feet. I had no idea what I could do that was worthy of demonstrating to the class, so I turned to my mother for help.

“Why don’t you show how to give a cat a pill?” she said.

Her words pushed the “up” button for my heart elevator. As it rose, enthusiasm came along for the ride. “That’s a great idea,” I gushed. “I’ve been doing that for a week. I’m good at it now, and Siam is all well.”

The euphoria didn’t last long, however. By Friday I was frantic. How can I make this last three whole minutes? I wondered as I wrote out note cards.

In class on Monday, as the teacher began speaking, a furry blur rocketed through the still-open door, scampered across the floor, and lodged itself under the overhead projector cart. Realizing it must be Siam, I became certain I was living my final moments at the age of twelve. This was confirmed by the appearance of my mother in the doorway.

The teacher called on all the other students before me, giving the cat time to relax, come out from his hiding place, and curl up in my lap. Just before the end of class I gave a flawless speech with a cooperative cat.

As the memory faded, I realized Siam had reasons for hiding under that cart, and I was acting very cat-like in my current circumstance.

I’m afraid I’ll have to take medicine if I stop hiding. I, too, was afraid of doing something that might make me uncomfortable.

If I stop hiding, I won’t be able to control what happens. The thought of doing something I’d never done before terrified me. So I retreated to what felt small, comfortable, and routine.

If I stop hiding, I’ll be on display and people will see my faults. If I agreed to write, my inner thoughts would be on display for the world to see.

If I stop hiding, somebody can hold me. I believe this is the reason Siam finally came creeping out from under the overhead cart. He needed to be held. And so did I. Jesus Christ longed to hold me and calm my fears, but He couldn’t do that if I hid from Him.

The next time Carolyn asked me if I was writing, I could joyfully say I was. No matter what Jesus Christ calls us to do, He is there to carry us beyond our greatest fears.

Taken from Kathryn’s story in the book, When God Steps In: True Stories of Transformation by God’s Grace, Essence Publishing, 2006

Photo/Mother Jones

The Four Faces of Fear

Mar12
StoryWriting Studio Four Faces of Fear

Fear Has Four Faces

Fear paralyzes the soul, the mind, and the body.  

As many of you know, I’m now writing books in addition to articles, blogs, devotions, and websites. Books are a different animal, and I find them harder than knocking out a 1,200 word article  in an hour. It doesn’t help that I have an intense day-job requiring vast amounts of time and energy. This could be a set up for disaster.

But with determination, I praise God and follow His lead. Otherwise, I’d already have given up, especially when I received the first edited version of my initial book proposal.

Numerous weak areas were evident. I couldn’t believe my own negative patterns as a writer. But my editor offered solutions for my mistakes. For me, that’s the easy part. Conditioned to fix problems, I knew how to keep at something until it was done right.

Oddly enough, the hard part was her words of encouragement. She told me my writing abilities were above average, and in her opinion my concept could be a best-seller. You would think I’d be on cloud nine, but instead, it paralyzed me with fear. What if I couldn’t live up to the book’s potential? 

And so it took me weeks to do something with her advice. When I finally sat down to tackle her critique, I literally made all the changes in less than two hours. Too bad I wasted all that energy on worry.

To top it off, a regular assault of things gone wrong kept me on edge. For months I dealt with one crisis after another, and frankly it wore me out. Spiritual warfare abounded, and fatigue set in. Too tired to fight anymore, I called on God and prayer warriors to help. My answer came in the form of a book. 

According to Rabbi Levi Brackman in Jewish Wisdom for Business Success, fear has four faces:

1) Self-sabotage

2) Fight

3) Retreat

4) Learned Helplessness

I realized my paralysis is driven by self-sabotage and learned helplessness. The answer lies in Exodus 14:13-15 where the Lord, through Moses, tells the children of Israel to fear not and see the salvation of the Lord. He ends with “Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.”

I realized God does not tell us to retreat or wait until we can see clear to the other side. He tells us to stick our toes in the Red Sea and step in faith.

I learned a few lessons through those early days of battle with my book proposal.

  • I may not progress as quickly as I like, but I will go forward, even if it’s measured only in inches.
  • I trust the Lord to give me courage, and increase my faith.
  • He IS my salvation.
  • I will praise Him no matter what, and I will finish the work He started in me.

Fear is the enemy, and knowing the face of the enemy is half the battle. He wouldn’t fight against us if there wasn’t something to fight for.

I now realize when Satan fights me, God is surely up to something good! Trust in God’s goodness helped me break out of paralysis to write my story another day.

What gives you hope in spiritual warfare? How do you live to write another day?

Moments of Grace

Fighting Fear in Moments of Grace

 Anita Agers-Brooks is a Business Coach, Certified Personality Trainer, Communications Specialist, national speaker, and writer. She lives in Missouri with her family.

Contact her via www.freshstartfreshfaith.org or anita.freshfaith@gmail.com

Monday – Friday blog www.freshstartfreshfaith.wordpress.com