Beating Fear

As I was compiling this blog about 2 weeks ago, I received a WhatsApp from a friend who was hosting an event asking me to MC the entire 4-hour seminar. My heart skipped a couple of beats. I had just written the part about Prisciller Shirer and I knew that I had to agree. So, I had an out of body moment when I types, "Okay - I'll do it!" I knew that I couldn't come here and write about overcoming fear or being bold and courageous without doing it myself. So, here's what inspired me to ignore what my mind, my heart and my body were saying, take the leap and MC that event. 

I fell in love with mic without even noticing.

The Word of God says in 2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV), “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Now, we all know that this does not mean that you will never feel afraid or anxious, it only means that when that fear comes, learn to overcome it and to reject it from entering your heart. Obviously, it won’t be easy but it can be done. 

Now let’s dissect what the verse says about what the Lord has given us:

Power

To me, this means that in our creation we have been gifted with power to overcome and subdue any challenge and any spirit that opposes us in any way, just like in the book of Genesis chapter 1 verse 28. The Word also says that greater is He that is within us then He that is in the world and that includes fear itself.

Love

Again in 1 Corinthians 13 verse 13 the Word says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.” Love is a powerful emotion and once you do what you love, fear will move over and give you room to fully operate and grow.

Sound mind

The Bible speaks of the renewing of the spirit of the mind in Ephesians 4 verse 23. To me that means continuously growing your knowledge, exploring new ways of understanding and acquiring wisdom. Now a sound mind, according to businessdictionary.com is “Legally, having the capacity to think, reason, and understand for oneself.” I, absolutely, love this definition because for me it means that God has given us logic. That we should not be pressured into doing or becoming anything that we don’t feel comfortable doing or becoming. Apply your mind and use it to overcome fear.

All these are super cool things to remember when fear tries to enter your heart but we should also be able to do practical things that will help us overcome any form of fear. Here are some tips:

“Screw it, let’s do it.” – Richard Branson

Prisciller Shirer, in one of her many talks that I have listened to, says that every time she is considering an option or an offer that she and her husband are given, if she at any point feels scared then she knows that the devil is trying to oppose her and so, she does it anyway so as to overcome the fear. You don't have to rush to prove to anyone, even yourself that you are fearless, overcoming one fear will make you stronger in facing the next fear.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” – A popular saying.

There are a few things that stand out when it comes to fear, we either fear the unknown or the possibility of a negative outcome and the “what if” situation. We don’t usually take enough time to stop think of what we’ll gain from conquering whatever it is that we fear. In terms of the unknown, once I go through the experience, it will no longer be unknown but I will be wiser because I would have conquered the unknown. When it comes to assuming that the outcome would be negative, what if the outcome is positive? Even if the outcome is negative, you will still have gone through a process that will have taught you something new and that’s the positive part of it.

Beat stagnation.

As human beings, we are created to change, develop and grown. Our physical appearances are the evidence of that. The same goes for our mental state. If you don’t expose yourself to things that you are scared of, while using your logic, then you will have no growth. If you only do what you’re comfortable with, you will keep receiving the benefits that come with your comfort zone. Find the courage to explore and discover what else do you have that you can offer yourself and the world.

Life is meant to be live. If you choose to be crippled by fear into just existing then you will end up rotting away and envying others who are intentionally pushing to live a life that they deem is worth living. You have to want it for yourself and then give yourself permission to go out and get it for yourself. Don’t allow what God has not given to you to determine or stifle who God has created you to be.

Cheers.