God made you for a reason. It’s absolutely bonkers how much He’s gifted you with the chance to live here and now with the talent you have. He’s made you to do something significant, maybe even world-changing, but if you’re not careful, there are five big fears threatening your potential.
Fear of failure
Let’s start with the obvious one: the fear of failure. No normal person craves failure. Being a success is innate in all of us. Here’s the greatest truth to facing the fear of failure: if God’s called you to do it, it won’t fail. If the worst thing that could happen is failure, so what? What would happen if you fail? Now, build an action plan to do your part in following the opportunity God’s called you to pursue.
Fear of being unpopular
Following God’s plan for your life isn’t always popular. People have done “bizarre” things when stepping into their God-given potential. It’s not always understood. It’s not always liked, even hated out of jealousy or pride. Some times it means you need to break away from bad relationships, poor careers, even losing “friends” in pursuit of your fullest potential.
Your future success needs to be built on relationships with people who are worth having in your life. The people of your past aren’t in your present for a reason. Think about that.
Fear of inability
I think we all struggle with the feeling of inadequacy at some point in our lives. Do I have what it takes? Am I good enough? I’m not that talented, am I? It tools faith to remember that a good and loving Heavenly Father gives His kids good and beautiful gifts to make good and beautiful things. If God’s called you to do something, He will make sure you have all the talents and resources you need to succeed.
Fear of the unknown
Why do we people fear the dark? Because we fear what we don’t know. All throughout history God has called people to do extraordinary things when facing the unknown. Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t know how many people would show up on the Lincoln Memorial steps. Abram had never even seen the Promised Land. Mother Theresa didn’t know the lives she would change when she followed God’s call to serve in the slums of India.
Never let the fear of the unknown hold you back from following the God that you do know.
Fear of success
The final fear is a subtle surprise: the fear of success. It’s easy to fear failure because each of us has experienced failure at some point in our lifetime. What’s not as easy is realizing that the fear of success can be just as petrifying. We fear success by failing to admit we might be destined for greatness. This gives us pause, makes us second-guess ourselves, and whispers in our ear, “Who do you think you are?”
God didn’t create us to live mediocre, vanilla lives. He called us to do great and magnificent things for His glory that we cannot even fathom.
This is why fear needs a knockout punch.
This is why fear needs eviction.
This is why our hearts are neither breeding ground nor haven of safety for the lies of Satan and the self-doubts we harbor within.
Release your fears today. Let God give you the courage to embrace the potential He’s given to you. May your greatest days ahead be set free from any fears holding your place today. Be free from fear.