Dealing With Fear
Have you ever had to do something that REALLY scared you? I’m not talking about haunted houses and scary movies either. I’m talking about making a decision that you knew was going to change your life forever. There’s a part of you that’s super excited and there’s a part of you that’s equally apprehensive. There will be a cascading affect to this decision; not only for you, but for people you care about.
How do you make decisions? What do you consider? Are you a “spur of the moment” kind of person, or do you grab a white board and create Pros and Cons columns and start analyzing. There are many ways to make difficult decisions and sometimes no matter how much research you do, how many references you check and how many confirmations you get, you still have to take a chance.
A Season of New
The season we are entering will require some of us to make difficult decisions. Some of us will move to a new place, some will change careers, some will get married, others will become empty-nesters. One thing is for sure, change is in the air.
I want to encourage you not to shy away from the scary things this month. It’s been my experience that the scariest things God has asked me to do have always been the most rewarding. As I type this, I am in a season that I have NEVER experienced in my life, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I am right where God wants me. It doesn’t look like anything I thought it would, but I know He is preparing me for something. My challenge continues to be maximizing this season of rest and preparation and not diminishing it because I’m not used to it.
It’s Time To Get Out Of The Boat
Yesterday, I did something that terrified me, but you know what? I did it. I made up my mind and I did it. The feeling of satisfaction afterwards didn’t completely put me at ease, but I was super proud of myself! I had to “get out of the boat” which is reference to the Apostle Peter when Jesus told him to come to Him during a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee. The next time I have to do that same thing, it will be easier because I made a deposit into my faith account that I will be able to draw on when I need it.
I have been on the Sea of Galilee and it was totally surreal to think about how much courage it must have taken for Peter to get out of the boat that night. It made zero sense, it defied logic, gravity and human nature, but nonetheless, the Savior was calling him to come. It is noteworthy to say there were others in that boat who heard Jesus calling Peter, but Peter is the only one who actually got out of the boat. This is important to consider.
When you decide to take a chance, not everyone will understand. When Rick and I left everything in Pennsylvania in 1998 to move to St. Louis to work for Joyce Meyer Ministries, there were really nice Christian people who told us we had lost our minds, it was never going to work and we would be back in a few months. We went anyway; we knew God was asking us to get out of our comfort zone. BEST decision we ever made.
Are there things that God is nudging you about that will require you to get out of the boat? I’ll bet there are. It’s how we grow. As we mature in our relationship with God, He will give us opportunities to stretch our faith…often. We have to trust in God to take steps towards our destiny, especially because He doesn’t always give us the entire picture right away. He told Abraham to leave his home and take his family without even telling him where he was going. At one point, God even asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son! Crazy! Of course, God hates child sacrifice and would never contradict His nature by requiring someone to do this. He was seeing if Abraham would be obedient and he was. (See Genesis 22 for the whole story)
Reflections
There have been many times when God was giving me opportunities to stretch my faith and I was too scared to get out of the boat. I missed it. One of the things I love the most about the Lord though is His mercy and patience with me. Don’t misunderstand, I get corrected a lot and I have to deal with the regret of knowing I missed an opportunity to exercise my faith, but I receive His forgiveness and mercy, I ask for grace to press on and try the next time.
Don’t beat yourself up if you know you’ve missed God. He’s not mad at you. He’s not disappointed in you. He loves you. He wants the best for you. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us of that:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope..”
Hebrews also tells us that “Without faith, it’s impossible to please God, for we first must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The more we show that we are trustworthy, the more responsibility we get. I don’t know about you, but I want God to be able to trust me with whatever He needs done on this earth as long as we are here.
Invite Him to reveal to you times when He was nudging you to get out of the boat. Just like Peter, Jesus wouldn’t have asked him to get out of the boat if He wasn’t completely prepared to make sure Peter walked on the water. Pray, ask God for wisdom, see counsel from the Word and trusted brothers and sisters in Christ about serious decisions you need to make. You may have to fast and pray. If you still don’t hear anything, take a step and see what happens. God is never going to fault you for taking a step of faith when your heart is turned towards Him and you believe you are doing what He wants you to do.
During the month of October, we are offering a special bundle of all 3 of my newest book releases, plus a bonus signed copy of my autobiography, From Vegas To Victory for a donation of $40 or more. The testimonies we are receiving from people who have been blessed and received their breakthrough from these books are so encouraging. Link to the bundle is in my bio.
Thank you for your support. God Bless You!