Irrational Fears - My own Struggle

I have a very special friend, Natalie, that I care about a great deal. Her friendship has been a stabilizing force, in the midst of incredible turmoil.

There have been so many changes in the past few months, that I often wonder which way is up.

Some of these changes have been terrifying, and I have had a reasonable fear. But, there is another, more irrational, fear that I have struggled with most of my life. Not fear of other people or events that seem imminent. It is an irrational fear of failure, and strangely, fear of success.

Does anyone else struggle with this type of fear?

There have been so many times that I have not given something my best effort, because I was afraid of giving it my all, and still failing. So, I would only give it half of my effort. Then I had an excuse for failing. I would literally set myself up to fail.

That makes no sense, when I really think about it, but this occurred on an unconscious level. If someone told me I was doing this, I would have denied it.

Most of what we fear never actually occurs. How many times would I have succeeded, if I would have given my all? The funny thing is that when I have tried, I have often had wonderful success.

Today, I read in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind". Fear is not of God. It is a tool of satan.

This type of fear can keep us from achieving all that God wants to achieve through us. Fear even keeps us from hearing God’s voice. It paralyzes us. We can’t move forward. The enemy has a good laugh, because we are no longer a threat.

So, if you, like me, struggle with this type of fear, how do you overcome it?

In my life, just knowing that I struggle with it was the first step in overcoming it. When I catch myself not giving my full effort, I ask myself why. I can now identify when it is that type of fear.

I pray about it, and ask God for the faith to overcome that fear. Then I take one step of faith towards the goal I want to achieve.

That first step is gut wrenching. But, each step after that gets easier. As little successes begin to be achieved, they spur me on to keep pressing towards the larger goal.

I have certainly not arrived, but God has brought me a long way.

If you find yourself struggling with motivation, and you know that you struggle with fear, ask yourself the hard questions. If it is fear, pray, and then take one step towards what you want to achieve. It will not be easy. But, each new step will be easier than the one before.

If you try, and fail, it is ok. Ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen? What significant difference would that failure make in your life a year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now? Most likely, the difference would be negligible.

Thomas Edison made more than 1000 failed attempts to create an incandescent light bulb that was cheap enough to make a profit on. Yet, he learned from each one. Every failed attempt brought him one step closer to inventing one of the most life changing products in the history of the world.

Now, ask yourself, what happens if you try and succeed. Failures do not often have long term effects. Successes, however, often do. What difference would this success make in your life a year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now?

One success really does build on the previous one, and amazing things begin happening. You begin to dream bigger, and God is able to birth a new vision in your spirit. God is waiting for you to take that first step of faith, no matter how scared you are. He will honor that faith, and take you places beyond your imagination.