Irrational fears don’t play fair.
Like when we don’t apply for a new job because we’ve worked on one computer platform for so long that we have convinced ourselves we’ll be quite computer illiterate on the other one.
This may sound stupid y’all, but fears often do in hindsight. Little irrational fears combined with larger, looming fears – that threaten something deep within us – are powerful when they all pile up working against us.
The enemy of our soul knows how to stack the deck until we can’t see passed it.
It took me a hot minute to not let my insecurities determine my future. Whether it was getting use to a new computer platform, or trusting God my teens were going to be “okay” with their mama going to work full time.
If you have a personality that jumps right in whether you know what you are doing or not, your irrational and rational fears may look far different to mine, but we ALL have them.
Unhealthy fear debilitates, steals, and paralyzes.
It’s the voice that whispers, “ you’ll make a fool of yourself, who do you think you are, you are unqualified, not worthy, not ready, not adequate, what if the worst happens, what if you fail, you are making a mistake, and the scariest one of all, what if you believe God and He doesn’t come through for you.”
“A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow” (John 10:10 TPT)!
This is true wisdom. There is freedom on the other side of fear.
“Fear masquerades as wisdom. True wisdom brings hopeful solutions.
Fear results in sin. Genuine wisdom has another outcome, a hope filled future.” – Bill Johnson
“…do not fret —it leads only to evil” (Psalms 37:8 NIV). Y’all, how often do we hold back, thinking we’re being wise when we’re really responding out of fear. Fear wears a mask too.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” (Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV).
Having fear is normal. I have it all of the time, over all manner of crazy things. If you are human, and I’m counting on the fact that you are, I know you experience fear too.
Experiencing fear is a part of life. Obeying fear is deadly to our souls. It slowly kills off our potential, passion and purpose. I can attest to this as I’ve let fear have it’s way too many times. However, I’ve also experienced the power of not letting fear win and there is nothing greater.
God created you to flourish, not live in fear. Fear says, “you can’t,” when God says, “You can because I am with you.”
When I listen to fear for too long, I become convinced of the enemy’s lies, of the “wisdom” he whispers in my mind. Too many times I’ve believed the voice of fear.
I’ve said, “God is greater,” but I didn’t act like He was.
God has so much more for each of us than the living we do while bound by fear. There is freedom in walking by faith. In doing all we can and turning over what we can’t do, to the God who can.
Fear and peace are not friends either. Fear steals peace. If you are operating in God’s peace, you might experience fear, but you are NOT obeying fear.
Peace prepares our hearts and minds to be open to creative solutions, have hope and to believe God for the impossible.
“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared” (Ephesians 6:15 NLT). That’s what I want, to be fully prepared, and I bet you do too.
I’m tired of fear rearing its ugly head, mask and all, acting like it can control me. It might be mandatory to wear face masks in this season of COVID, but it’s NEVER mandatory to to be enticed by the “wisdom (human reasoning)” that fear offers us.
God can be trusted! “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise” (Hebrews 10:23 NLT).
Maybe we can choose to get better at not judging one another, becoming more transparent and holding one another accountable for what we’re believing. Fear or faith. We’re in this fight together, or at least we should be.
With much love and grace,
Joelle Povolni
P.S. If you missed part one of this two part series you can catch it here: Fear Wears A Mask Too – Part One.
