Those Darn Invisible Fences

Fear is a strange thing. It creeps in and takes hold of our unconscious thoughts, then our conscious thoughts, and then it runs rampant with our minds until it controls us and makes us believe it.

Sometimes, fear is valid and empowering and real (think Grizzly bear outside your tent in Alaska), but most times, we fear things that haven’t happened or things with which we are uncomfortable. Fear often keeps us from changing into the person we would like to be. Fear imprisons us as we build invisible fences—ones that keep scary things outside and us inside. A book I am reading with Cole called Do Hard Things says this: “[When we are fearful] What we are really saying is that we don’t want to do things that don’t come easily or naturally. We don’t want to break through our fears. And by our actions, we’re also saying that God isn’t good and powerful enough to help us do what we can’t comfortably do on our own.” Fear is bondage.

Why is it that when new challenges or grandiose ideas come to us, we often resist and delay, fight and scream to stay inside our cozy little lives? We build invisible fences around ourselves and inside are all the things we have already achieved and are successful at…but outside—yikes!!! Outside we might fail. Outside we might look foolish. Outside things might be hard. Outside is FREEDOM.

Think about the times that you have gone outside of your comfort zone to do something scary. Are those moments not empowering? Is it not a thrill to realize you could be that person you want to be? Some of our greatest memories are made when we step outside our fences of fear.

So…here is my challenge for you. Do one thing that scares you every day.

Be wise with this folks. I am not saying to go skydiving (although you certainly may—I will not do this because I am convinced that after I have floated to the earth, my family would find me laying there dead on the ground killed by the shock of it all), or juggle butcher knives or twirl fire batons (you can do this if you want to, Mom). What I am saying is to find out more about the person that God designed you to be. Don’t be afraid to learn a new language or take on a big project or talk to a stranger. Show God how much you trust Him by taking some baby steps outside your fence. After you see how exhilarating that is, you might just want to jump over that fence the way that Luke jumps over hurdles—fast and furiously.

It’s your choice. Inside or out? How big is your God?

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)