The American writer and lecturer Dale Carnegie once wisely observed that “inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” As believers, this resonates with the biblical call to move forward in the strength and purpose God has given us.
For a brief moment, cast your mind back to the Age of Discovery. Imagine early explorers like Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Vasco da Gama, and Marco Polo. Before taking their first steps into the world of the unknown, they must have faced a flood of discouraging voices and internal conflicts. They likely heard tales of danger and may have feared they would never see their loved ones again. Yet, they did not let these fears or voices paralyze them. Clearly, they did not listen, or else the victories for which they are well-known would never have been achieved. They had to conquer their inner voices of negativity and doubt before undertaking their adventures.
The Enemy Within
People who achieve great victories in life – whether in business, ministry, or personal growth – must learn to overcome fear and take positive, faith-filled steps in the direction of their God-given dreams and callings.
There is an African proverb that says “when there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” What we need to realize is that fear is often the enemy within that holds us back, causing us to run in the opposite direction – away from our dreams and destiny in Christ.
I remember once working on a farm when I encountered a green mamba that wasn’t looking in my direction. I was bold enough to attack it with a stick and was victorious. However, on another occasion, I saw a green mamba looking directly at me, and I suspected it was ready to attack. Though I initially thought of my past success, as I stood there, I began thinking about the farmers I had heard of who had died or become very ill from snake bites, and the terrible pain of the venom. The thought became too much, and I did exactly what fear does to people: I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction.
Faith Over Fear
I have come to believe that fear is primarily a state of mind, and we must choose to control our minds rather than letting our minds control us. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “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). This power and sound mind is the inheritance of every believer!
Perhaps you have a brilliant, God-inspired idea that could turn into a thriving ministry or a multi-million dollar business, but you are indecisive because of the fear of failure, the fear of the unknown, or the fear of what other people will think and say. This indecisiveness can easily short-circuit your potential and stifle the calling on your life.
Chasing your God-given dreams requires a willingness to make difficult decisions, and one of the most important is the decision to deal with your fear. When we become over-cautious about the brilliant ideas or dreams we have, it is easy to think about all the ways through which things could go wrong. We must counter this mentality by being willing to take calculated, faith-filled risks. Trying to “play it safe” to please ourselves and others in the short term is one of the fastest ways to diminish the potential God has placed within us. As the great ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you do not take.” We can apply this spiritually: we miss 100% of the divine opportunities we don’t step into because of fear.
Moving Forward with Confidence
To confidently move in the direction of your dreams, you need to first identify your fear. It could be the fear of public speaking, the fear of commitment, the fear of change, or the fear of a massive new undertaking.
Next, reflect on its impact: Think about how this fear held you back in the past, how it is affecting you in the present, and consider the tremendous payoff of overcoming it.
In my own life, when I ran from the snake, I was ready to leave the farm for good. However, upon returning home, no amount of complaining made my grandmother accept my decision. She told me that she had faced similar challenges almost all her life and that I couldn’t let fear hold me back from achieving my goals and from moving on with my life. She told me I had to change my way of thinking and return to the farm the next day. That night, I imagined myself as a warrior. I remember telling myself to be moved by faith and not by sight (a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:7). It was a moment of incredible relief when I finally came to the conclusion that I could walk back to that farm the next day without imagining an army of snakes chasing me. The change happened in my mind, fueled by a greater vision.
Focus on the Promise
The key to dealing with your own fear is to focus on the opposite of that fear.
- If your fear is failure, think constantly about success and the glory of God in that success.
- If your fear is cowardice or timidity, think constantly about bravery and the power of the Holy Spirit living within you.
- If your fear is the fear of death or the loss of comfort, think about the beauty of eternal life and the contributions you can make while you are on earth.
Make the decision to take action by getting busy with your life and calling. Get busy pursuing your dreams through the acquisition of knowledge, constant improvement, and striving to make a difference in the lives of others for the Kingdom. Death is the inevitable end of everyone, but we must make the effort to make every moment count. You have the choice to make your journey a fulfilling one through your own thought process. Why? Because your thought is powerful; it is the catalyst that can transform ideas to physical reality.
As you walk through life, fear will often rear its ugly head, but you must be willing to look it in the face and deal with it. That is one of the marks of outstanding achievers and mature believers.
To handle fear, you must:
- Identify that fear and reflect on how it has paralyzed you in the past, contrasting that with the advantages of overcoming it.
- Focus on positive, biblical thoughts and promises that will help you deal with that fear.
- Make a decision to deal with the fear and take action by doing the thing you fear or going ahead with your plan despite your fears.
Conclusion: Stepping Into Your Calling
The former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, once stated, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face… You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
For the Christian, this is not just motivational advice; it is the essence of walking by faith. Our confidence isn’t in our own ability to be fearless, but in the truth that “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
The battle against fear is won when we choose obedience over comfort and faith over feeling. Don’t let the fear of failure, judgment, or the unknown prevent you from fulfilling the unique purpose God has placed on your heart.
What is the one step God is calling you to take today that requires you to choose faith over fear? Go on, get out, and get busy.
