Last week, we talked about doubt and how it quietly works to pull us away from our God-given calling. This week, I want to talk about one of doubt’s closest companions: fear.
Fear is one of the enemy’s oldest tactics. It doesn’t always shout. Most of the time, it whispers just loudly enough to keep us from taking the next step God is asking us to take.
What if you fail? What if they reject you? What if you lose everything? What if you’re not enough? What if you make the wrong decision? What if you step out and God doesn’t show up? Better play it safe. Better stay where you are.
Do any of those sound familiar?
Fear rarely convinces us to quit all at once. Instead, it keeps us from starting. It delays obedience. It keeps gifts buried, conversations unspoken, prayers unprayed, and opportunities unexplored. It doesn’t have to destroy your calling if it can simply convince you to postpone it.
So when fear begins to creep in, stop and ask what it’s really trying to accomplish. Is it keeping you from trusting where God is leading? That’s the first warning sign. Is it causing you to focus more on what could go wrong than on what God has already promised? Another warning sign. Is it convincing you that comfort is safer than obedience?
There will always be reasons to hesitate. There will always be unknowns. There will always be risks. But throughout Scripture, God never promised that following Him would be free from fear. He simply reminded us, over and over again, that He would be with us.
So, like with doubt, acknowledge the fear. Don’t let it disguise itself as wisdom. Bring it honestly before God and ask Him to replace your fear with His peace and your hesitation with His direction. You were never called to be fearless. You were called to be faithful.
And faith will always take you farther on this journey than fear ever could.
