Last night my seven-year old son decided to use his Christmas money to take me to the movies. What a great treat that was and what a beautiful gesture from my son. The movie we watched was called Sing. In this movie the one character has a dreadful fear of being on stage in front of big crowds but her passion for singing is tearing at her heart. When she gets the opportunity to audition, she freezes out of fear and the audition is a big disaster.
Don’t let fear stop you
Later in the movie someone says to her that she should never let fear stop her from doing what she loves. That line really spoke to me because I myself have a passion for singing and also for playing guitar but I have never pursued my passion because I too am terrified at the thought of being on stage in front of hundreds of people. This fear is actually shared by millions of people around the world.
Later that night I got into bed and I was thinking about fear and where it comes from. Did God put these fears in our hearts and minds or are they a trap from somewhere else? Then out the blue a verse came to my mind – 2 Timothy 1:7 and when I read that verse it really blew me away – check what it says: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
Then another crazy thing happened, I checked my Facebook one last time before turning in for the night and the first post that came on my screen was a meme that said: “Let the fear of failure push you to greatness.” It was like a giant slap and I realised that I must embrace my fears and push ahead regardless and by doing so become greater than I am now and not worse off. I have been thinking a lot about it and here are four points that I believe can help us.
- Let your fear be your fuel.
You can either allow your fear to paralyze you or you can use it to fuel your passion. Your fear can become the very thing that pushes you to prepare harder. If you fear messing up your lines or forgetting your words, then it will push you to practice more, practice harder and the truth is that if you are properly prepared for something and have practiced hard towards it then you will already be more confident than ever before.
- Feel the fear and do it anyway.
When we love something – doing that thing will make us happier, correct? That initial fear will have to slowly fade away because as we do what we love we will realise that when we are doing that thing, our passion will shine through and the fear in our hearts will begin to evaporate like a puddle of water in the desert sands.
- The more you do it the easier it becomes.
This one seems obvious, but when we first start out, it may seem like that fear will never go away or lessen but the truth is that the more you do something the easier it becomes, especially when it’s something you love and are passionate about.
- You have nothing to lose.
Another thing to remember is that you actually have nothing to lose. You can only gain from stepping out and conquering your fears. If your dream is to sing but you are currently only singing in your basement, then what do you have to lose by stepping out of your comfort zone and giving it a try?
“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4
You see, God has placed desires in our hearts. These desires may be the very purpose God has created you for and now that we know fear does not come from God it is easy for us to see exactly where that fear comes from. The enemy would love to keep you trapped in fear – to keep you from fulfilling your purpose. Let’s not give him that opportunity but instead let’s take our fears and turn them into the fire that drives us to greatness as we delight in the Lord.
“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 37:4
If you would like to find out more about God and learn more about how to live the life He has purposed for you, then I encourage you to click either the pop-up or the link below.
Your life will never be the same again.