Are you truly able to face your fears honestly?
That may seem strange to ask. But I ask for reason.
Human nature is quirky. We can be very inconsistent in the way we act, versus the way we claim to act.
Here’s the deal, fear undermines peace.
If you want peace, you must deal with your fears. Yet our fears are something that disturb our peace. Do you see the cycle here?
Because we do not want to be uncomfortable we seek to soothe our fear in different ways.
Give it a Name…
The first step to face your fears is to understand who you are, so if you missed the first episode, click here to find out “Who B U?”. Otherwise, read on…
If you desire peace, you must face you fears honestly.
But since our fears often masquerade as something else, we must get very honest with ourselves.
In my newest book Freefall: God’s Path to Courage and Boldness, I share my discovery of how my fears often show up as delay. In that book, I told the story of how my tendency to “delay” resulted in my failing to show up in a close friend’s life.
I was embarrassed because I realized I had neglected to check in on him when he was struggling–and I was afraid of calling him because I didn’t want to explain my failure.
Two days after getting a nudge from the Holy Spirit to call him–and after two days of delay (my presentation of fear), he took his own life.
Fear is costly.
Why should you face your fears honestly?
Because the truth about walking with God is this: The really good stuff lies on the other side of fear.
So how does your fear present?
Is it through anger? Denial? Distraction? Delay? Blame?
You need to go to God in prayer about this. You need to share this with your “rabbi,” the person mentoring you spiritually. If you don’t have a rabbi, you need to get at least one. See my book Freefall for more on the selection and use of a rabbi/mentor.
Here’s another helpful hack in dealing with fear…
Don’t be Afraid to See what You See
An essential trait to adopt to face your fears is found in the quote above: Do not be afraid to see what you see.
Former President Ronald Reagan said that–it is very wise. It is totally biblical.
The Apostle John put it this way, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear.” (1 Jn. 4:18)
No fear? That’s our promise if we are in Christ. It is to be a sure thing.
The problem is, when we are afraid to face our fears, we are ditching this blessing.
What is it about Jesus that allows us to look straight at our fears and deal with them?
John answers that question simply: “For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.” (1 Jn.4:18,19)
This is deep theologically, but to simplify the answer, it goes like this.
We live in a world that is highly transactional. Being transactional means that if you and I are friends, and you come through for me, I’ll treat you well. If you disappoint me, I may “punish” you with harsh words, exclusion, or ill treatment.
If we are fearful of something in our life, it indicates that we likely believe that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is being transactional with us. We sense that if this fear overwhelms us, he may not save us because we have not been good enough.
Or, we have humanized God. We see a problem too big for us, and therefore it is too big for him.
Or, we simply are self-idolaters. We do not believe God can deal with what scares us and instead think it is all up to us. We will not face our fears because, truly, facing those problems in our own strength is impossible. Without God, we cannot handle what scares us.
As you can see, facing your fears is tough but essential to peace. We must develop a full and reckless abandon toward God and be able to stare straight at what scares us. For more on this topic, get my book Superhero: Being Who God Says You Are. Read the chapter “Perfect Fear Cast out Love.” (Yep, that is the name of the chapter, you just need to read it to understand why!)
Why We Struggle With God’s Love
To face your fears straight on requires a strong and increasingly correct view of Jesus. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we let people down, they let us down, and we experience the transactional reality of human-to-human life everyday.
You need a more accurate view of how much God loves you so that you can face your fears and become bold and courageous.
In order to achieve a more accurate view of God, start with First-Person Messiah: Transforming Your Life Through Amazing Encounters with Jesus.
This book will open your eyes to a new and empathic way of reading Scripture.
Till next time…let’s do this!
(Image by Anastasiia Stiahallo/Istockphoto)
Face your Fears Honestly-The Path to Peace Pt. 2
Posted: January 26, 2025 by Stephen K. Moore · Leave a Comment
Are you truly able to face your fears honestly?
That may seem strange to ask. But I ask for reason.
Human nature is quirky. We can be very inconsistent in the way we act, versus the way we claim to act.
Here’s the deal, fear undermines peace.
If you want peace, you must deal with your fears. Yet our fears are something that disturb our peace. Do you see the cycle here?
Because we do not want to be uncomfortable we seek to soothe our fear in different ways.
Give it a Name…
The first step to face your fears is to understand who you are, so if you missed the first episode, click here to find out “Who B U?”. Otherwise, read on…
If you desire peace, you must face you fears honestly.
But since our fears often masquerade as something else, we must get very honest with ourselves.
In my newest book Freefall: God’s Path to Courage and Boldness, I share my discovery of how my fears often show up as delay. In that book, I told the story of how my tendency to “delay” resulted in my failing to show up in a close friend’s life.
I was embarrassed because I realized I had neglected to check in on him when he was struggling–and I was afraid of calling him because I didn’t want to explain my failure.
Two days after getting a nudge from the Holy Spirit to call him–and after two days of delay (my presentation of fear), he took his own life.
Fear is costly.
Why should you face your fears honestly?
Because the truth about walking with God is this: The really good stuff lies on the other side of fear.
So how does your fear present?
Is it through anger? Denial? Distraction? Delay? Blame?
You need to go to God in prayer about this. You need to share this with your “rabbi,” the person mentoring you spiritually. If you don’t have a rabbi, you need to get at least one. See my book Freefall for more on the selection and use of a rabbi/mentor.
Here’s another helpful hack in dealing with fear…
Don’t be Afraid to See what You See
An essential trait to adopt to face your fears is found in the quote above: Do not be afraid to see what you see.
Former President Ronald Reagan said that–it is very wise. It is totally biblical.
The Apostle John put it this way, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear.” (1 Jn. 4:18)
No fear? That’s our promise if we are in Christ. It is to be a sure thing.
The problem is, when we are afraid to face our fears, we are ditching this blessing.
What is it about Jesus that allows us to look straight at our fears and deal with them?
John answers that question simply: “For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.” (1 Jn.4:18,19)
This is deep theologically, but to simplify the answer, it goes like this.
We live in a world that is highly transactional. Being transactional means that if you and I are friends, and you come through for me, I’ll treat you well. If you disappoint me, I may “punish” you with harsh words, exclusion, or ill treatment.
If we are fearful of something in our life, it indicates that we likely believe that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is being transactional with us. We sense that if this fear overwhelms us, he may not save us because we have not been good enough.
Or, we have humanized God. We see a problem too big for us, and therefore it is too big for him.
Or, we simply are self-idolaters. We do not believe God can deal with what scares us and instead think it is all up to us. We will not face our fears because, truly, facing those problems in our own strength is impossible. Without God, we cannot handle what scares us.
As you can see, facing your fears is tough but essential to peace. We must develop a full and reckless abandon toward God and be able to stare straight at what scares us. For more on this topic, get my book Superhero: Being Who God Says You Are. Read the chapter “Perfect Fear Cast out Love.” (Yep, that is the name of the chapter, you just need to read it to understand why!)
Why We Struggle With God’s Love
To face your fears straight on requires a strong and increasingly correct view of Jesus. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we let people down, they let us down, and we experience the transactional reality of human-to-human life everyday.
You need a more accurate view of how much God loves you so that you can face your fears and become bold and courageous.
In order to achieve a more accurate view of God, start with First-Person Messiah: Transforming Your Life Through Amazing Encounters with Jesus.
This book will open your eyes to a new and empathic way of reading Scripture.
Till next time…let’s do this!
(Image by Anastasiia Stiahallo/Istockphoto)
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