“I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God.”
I love this song. I sing it strongly, with conviction. As I sing I feel the confidence rising, my fears being vanquished one by one. As though right in this very moment I could overcome any obstacle and run into battle for Him, with Him. In this mindset my fear has no hold on me, and the Enemy cannot touch me.
Alone however, when the doubts creep in and the fears resurface, it’s a different story. My fear is very much present and its hold on me is real. Holding me back from the work He has called me to do, and the life He has called me to live.
I sang the words of the song again at If:Gathering a few weeks ago. “What are you so afraid of child?” I heard Him say. And truthfully, I didn’t know. Failure, rejection, looking foolish. An inability to handle it all. Not living up to my potential or being obedient to His calling. The list goes on.
Yet speaker after speaker at If:Gathering urged us not to let fear have the final word. To stand up and do what He has called us to do anyway—even when the courage doesn’t come. It might not you know. This is a God who calls ordinary people to do extraordinary, impossible things in His name and ordinary people get scared. So we need to get accustomed to feeling afraid — and doing it anyway.
“When I am afraid I put my trust in you” Psalm 56:3.
In the midst of our fear, we need to trust that He is more than enough. That the things that hold us back have no hold on Him. The things we lack, He provides in abundance. The things we are afraid of, He can overcome. His strength is more than a match for our inadequacies. His truth, more than a match for the Devil’s lies. There is nothing left to do but say yes. Yes to the big, scary thing He has called us to do. Not without fear, but in spite of it.
What are you afraid of child? What if the only thing stopping you, is you?