Fear had been telling me what to do. It kept me standing in my own little safety zone, never allowing me to step out into the unknown. Fear would tell me that out in the unknown there is quite possibly pain, rejection, hurt, embarrassment and who knows what else. Fear fed me lies and kept me afraid and staying exactly where I was in my safety zone.

I heard someone say that you need to chase down your fears and at first I thought that it just sounded crazy. Why would I want to run after the things that make me afraid? And then it got me to thinking; fear is not from God so it just may be the enemy. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and he feeds me lies and keeps me in a state of fear and that fear stands in the way of me stepping into the things that God has for me. It keeps me from Gods ultimate plan for my life.

Last year we entered into the world of Foster Care and became Foster parents. Fear had held me back before, feeding me lies of it is going to be hard to get registered, it will be too hurtful to see what the children have gone through, it will be too hard to let go, too hard to love them as your own. The enemy had me right where he wanted me, staying right where I was and doing nothing at all to love the least of these. But we felt the fear and did it anyway.

Fear is still a part of my life but I am learning not to let it tell me what to do anymore. I am chasing down my fears, stepping into the things that make me afraid, and it is there that I learn to overcome fear.

Stepping out and facing your fear leads to intimacy with the Lord, another thing that the enemy tries to keep you from. That is where we need God the most; we lean on Him the most, listen to Him the most, trust Him the most. All of these things create a stronger connection with the Lord. The Holy Spirit comes and fills us with His power and courage to do the things that make us afraid.

What could happen if regular people like you and me got filled with God’s Spirit and carried His power and courage? The world around us couldn’t help but be impacted and changed for the better. What if we all felt the fear and did the brave and courageous things anyway?

I want to encourage you with this verse—Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Hold onto this verse and breathe in the courage, let it soak into your spirit and let it rise within your heart and then chase down your fears one by one.