The Fear that Disables

"The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that."(Proverbs 29:25 MSG)

Do you ever feel paralyzed in life because you are worried about what people will think about you?  Maybe you want to step out and start a new business venture, lead a ministry, perform on a stage, or organize an event of some sort.  Often times we fear rejection and worry that people will think we are foolish, strange or conceited.  Maybe you want to take the next step in a direction, but fear exposure of your personal flaws and weaknesses.

When we let the fear of man's opinion control our emotions and our actions, we will never be able to truly reach our dreams.  We will find ourselves in the same place year after year wondering what it would be like to do the things that our heart longs to do.

God’s Word says that he has not given us the spirit of fear.  So if he didn’t give it to us then who did? Well, the enemy of course!  Why do we let him have so much control over us?  Why do we allow ourselves to feel powerless when God has called us to be bold and strong?  Why do we allow ourselves to be fooled and believe our fears over God's Word?

Enough is enough!  It is time we stand strong and conquer this fear!  It won't be easy and it doesn’t usually happen over night.  But with faith and a little effort, you can overcome! The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."  If we suffer with fear, it tells us that God’s love has not been perfected within us to its fullest.  Once you truly grab hold of how much he loves you, the need to impress or prove yourself to others will no longer be.  Your identity is not in man's opinion of you but in God's truth about you!  Even people who have been Christians for years need to remind themselves of how much they are loved by God.

God has designed you with purpose.  He planted those desires in you.  Today make a choice to live out that design.  Choose to believe in his plans and follow them.  Use wisdom when stepping out and make sure you have God's peace.  Then, set a plan of action on how to accomplish your goals and do it!  Do not let fear of man hold you back another day!  Remember, not everyone will like you or care about what you are doing, and that's okay. When you step out for God with pure motives, His hand of favor will cover you.