Are You Overcome or an Overcomer?

If I am not fighting to keep my faith, I am losing it. But fighting is uncomfortable, and unpleasant and to be honest, involves the ongoing fight to overcome feelings of fear.

I've been writing about faith a lot since I am in a season of facing down some of the fears I have 'just put up with' for my entire life, thinking they were 'just part of life' for me. After all, I have never not had them. (and I wont mention my age!)

One of those fears is what I call, 'The Beginning of Everything Anxiety". This one includes the fear of arriving late to an event, the fear of stepping into an already-gathered crowd, the fear of being reprimanded (in certain circumstances) and the fear of failing. And if that sounds ugly, well, it is.

I don't always have it, mostly in new or unfamiliar situations. But it is especially present when something depends on my oversight. As in the case of putting on an event or giving a talk.

I was greatly encouraged by a message I heard recently that clarified that fear is going to often and likely be present to some degree when God asks us to step into something that we are unqualified for. Something requiring FAITH in His grace (enabling) to come through. Grace calls us into our fears. Usually the thing requiring faith is right outside of our comfort zone and that is why there would be the feeling of fear.

At the threshold of 'He calls and I must answer', is where the mind-battle/ heart-battle is fought and, with the help of the Spirit of God, won. The victory comes from knowing and believing God, His strength, and His promises. At the threshold is where I stop my thoughts of my own inadequacies producing fear and replace them with the truth of God's sufficiency...ever-present help in trouble, refuge, who gives strength to the weary, who enables the mouth to speak, who leads and guides His people. The Spirit must work in my heart to receive the truth of God's faithfulness. He is the revealer of God to my heart. 

Daily the challenges come, and the opportunities to walk forward in the truth. To throw my fears under the bus!

"In the Christian life you’re either an overcomer or you’re overcome, a victor or a victim. After all, God didn’t save us to make statues out of us and put us on exhibition. He saved us to make soldiers out of us and move us forward by faith to claim our rich inheritance in Jesus Christ. Moses said it perfectly: “He brought us out … that He might bring us in” "~Warren Wiersbe (Be Strong)