Shrink Your Fears
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Ps 56:3 NIV
Mary loved being a homemaker. She’d been married for thirty years to John, a successful businessman. Because John had always taken care of things, Mary had learned never to take risks. As a result, her biggest fear was that she’d be left alone one day. Sometimes she would tell her friends, “I hope I go before John because I don’t think I could handle things by myself.” But then John became ill and Mary was placed in the position of caring for him, plus having to make all the decisions for them both. It was nerve-racking at first. But once she put her trust in God and decided to take charge, she made an interesting discovery: security doesn’t lie in having things, but in handling them! She found that facing her fears was easy compared to the years she’d spent feeling inadequate, helpless and dependent. Facing your fears is always easier than living with helplessness. In fact, when you let fear stop you, you end up living with feelings of dread and helplessness that are a hundred times worse than if you had just faced your fears and moved forward. The truth is, if you tell yourself often enough that you can’t do something, you will be unable to do it—even though you have the talent, time, resources, strategy, and friends to accomplish it. Only those who say they can, do. Saying you believe in yourself and the God who lives within you may not guarantee your success, but saying you don’t will guarantee your failure. So today face your fears head on, and watch them shrink.
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