Do It Afraid: Courageously Moving Forward in God’s Plan
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Photo by sean kong via Unsplash
I once heard Christian teacher Joyce Meyer exhort her listeners to “Do it afraid.” The idea was simply to not let fear stop you—just to do whatever you need to do regardless of how you feel.
I’ve battled fear for much of my life, so I’ve had many opportunities to put this advice into practice. One memorable instance comes from my college days. In order to graduate, I was required to complete a communications course. So, dutifully, I signed up for Communications 121.
TERRIFIED TO SPEAK
I knew this would be a challenging class because it required giving speeches—something I wasn’t crazy about. But it wasn’t until the instructor handed out the syllabus at the first class that I realized the number of speeches that would be required of me. As reality sunk in, my initial unease exploded into full-blown panic. The terror I felt is similar to what I imagine I would feel if I was strolling through the woods and bumped into a black bear.
Yet the fact remained: The only way I was walking across the stage with my diploma was if I first walked to the front of the classroom. And I really wanted to earn my degree. So, I did it afraid.
And you know what? Despite the undeniable awkwardness of my speeches, I survived—and eventually graduated.
(Side note: I did end up switching to a group communication course. I still had to give solo speeches, but somehow having the support of a small group made it easier.)
SHRINKING FEAR
Pushing past fear not only enabled me to reach an important milestone but through this and other experiences of “doing it afraid,” I also discovered an important principle: When you confront your fear, usually, in time, it shrinks. Later, as a graduate student, I was again required to give presentations, and each time I did so, my fear of talking in public lessened a bit. Since then, I’ve gone on to give talks at women’s events, and I regularly share announcements in front of my church on Sunday mornings, all without feeling like I’m going to die. In fact, I now enjoy it!
DO IT AFRAID
If you’re struggling with fears related to an action you need to take, I encourage you to do it afraid. Remember: Fear is designed to hold you back from God’s best for you. It wants to keep you small and stop you from achieving your goals. But the truth is, fear can’t stop you from doing anything. You have the power through Christ to courageously push past it and step into all God is calling you to do. As you do, you will find that fear fades, peace blossoms, and your confidence grows.
As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me here or through the comment section below!
In purpose and faith,
P.S. Would you like more tools and encouragement for fighting fear? I wrote an entire article about overcoming fear called “5 Ways to Fight Fear, Find Peace, and Move Forward in God’s Plan for Your Life.” You can read the whole article here.
This post is part of an article originally published by iBelieve.com.
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