Persevere in the Midst of Fear

It’s easy to get drawn into fear when the 24-hour news cycle pings our phone at all hours and social media alerts us to a string of posts we missed. Or perhaps the bad news hits close to home with a medical diagnosis we weren’t expecting. It’s hard to keep our perspective positive in these difficult moments. I’ve learned a lot this past year about perseverance and I think it is possible to persevere even when we are being crushed. The prefix -per means “containing the largest possible or a relatively large proportion”, and the root word -severe means “maintaining a scrupulously exacting standard of behavior or self-discipline.”

To persevere means we must have a large amount of self-discipline. And guess what zaps the discipline right out of us? You guessed it. Fear! Fear is a demotivator keeping us from accomplishing our goals. Author and speaker Tim shoemaker put it this way, “When we’re paralyzed, overwhelmed, over our head, we can’t move forward.” So how do we persevere in the midst of fear?

First, keep your eyes on the One who holds you up. You may recall the Biblical story of Peter walking on water. Peter and the other disciples were in a boat in the middle of a huge storm. We’re talking fifteen-foot waves threatening to sink the tiny boat and hurricane-like winds tearing at the sail. The disciples thought they were going to die. They had a right to be fearful! Until Jesus showed up. Jesus called to Peter, “Come! And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:9, NAS).

Imagine this scene with me for a minute. You step out of your boat in front of all your friends and instead of falling into the water, you walk on top of it! Your friends freak out, take pictures, and post to Instagram! Then your brain catches up to your feet and you think, “What am I doing? This isn’t possible.” You look down and fall into the water. A second ago you were trending on Twitter now you’re literally drowning. What happened? You looked down at the impossible instead of keeping your eyes focused on Who makes all things possible. You lost perspective.

Secondly, don’t let fear stop you from accomplishing what God has called you to do. I love the story of Joshua. For years, the Israelites had wandered in the desert because they allowed fear to overtake them. But Joshua didn’t let fear stand in his way. He moved forward to overtake the land despite the odd stacked against his people. You see, years before God had promised this exact land to the Israelites. It was called the “Promised Land”, as in past tense. As in it had already been decided.

If God promises to do something for you and through you, He will provide the way! He will make your mission successful.

As writers, fear can keep us from letting others read our stories. What if they don’t like it? What if they make fun of me? Fear can keep us from pursuing our dreams. What if my business venture fails? What if I let others down?

If you’re in middle of a storm, through a storm, or about to enter a storm, keep your eyes on Jesus who will not only hold you up, but will make a way for you to accomplish what He’s put on your heart.

Photo credit by Su San Lee on Unsplash