Unlearning Your Fears

• Don’t let mental lions keep you from experiencing everything God has to offer

I don’t know how many times I have let my thoughts keep me from moving forward or trying something new. I think it all started when that first voice that said I couldn’t do it or the first person to stop me from doing something new. Being young at the time, I never realized that it was not because of me that I was often times stopped or ridiculed for a decision but more because the other person was afraid.

But after so many spoken words that pierced fear into my thoughts, I continued those fears into my growing years. I questioned opportunities, afraid of failing in the eyes of others or how I would look trying, that I often let those opportunities slip on by my open fingers. My fear immobilized me so that I stood still, frozen to my spot so I would not cause any ripples or cause angst in another. My fear became my security.

But over time, my fear became old and more burdensome. What once was my friend I realized was truly my enemy, cloaked in familiarity. I saw others taking chances, pursuing dreams I thought impossible, saw their faith stretch to show His power. I was envious because I wanted to see and experience in the impossible.

Those mental lions kept me at first from experiencing what God had to offer me in His glory and power. As I stayed closed to his side, learned to become like him, those mental lions of fear have turned into my mental lions of trust.

*my thoughts from Chapter 3, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson