Paralyzing Fear

One of the best tactics the devil will use is fear. Fear that paralyzes. If he paralyzes us, he can push us back from what we are being called to do. But know that sometimes being paralyzed is worse than risking the fall. Think about when you were a kid and wanted to cross those monkey bars. You pushed back the fear, built up the courage, and you tried. As you were in the middle of crossing them, fear stepped in, the ground was so far, and you froze. When you're dangling, fear has stopped you, and your arms become weak, tired, you become exhausted and your fingers begin to slip. You know the fall comes next. You see, if we had only kept going, let go. We wouldn't be tired, our arms wouldn't be sore, and fear wouldn't have won. The paralysis of fear is most often worse than your actual fear. There's this feeling of being stuck. Don't allow fear to paralyze, but move forward, despite your fear. When we allow fear to paralyze, we allow the devil to hold us back. If the devil can just make us so fearful that we convince ourselves that not doing what God called us to do is better than facing our fear, he wins. He just wants to make us stop. When we are stopped, we aren't a threat. In Matthew 28, it says GO and make disciples. We aren't called to stop in the name of fear, fear has no power over us. We are called to GO in the name of Jesus. Which name is more powerful to you? Fear or God? In 2 Timothy, it says God did not give us a spirit of fear. Fear that hinders us from being who and doing what God called us to, completely and fully, satisfies Satan. If we have God and trust Him, fear can't stand a chance.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

When we allow fear to be god of our lives, we begin to believe God is not our light, salvation, stronghold, comforter, or that He is with us. Fear holds us back from our full potential that God has called us to. It hinders us from being better image bearers of Him because fear is not from Him. If it's not from Him, when we wear it, we won't be bearing His image well. He is not fear. So how do we not allow fear to paralyze? Go. Let go. Move forward. Take the next step. Follow His guidance, not fears, not the devils. The devil will tell you stop, because if you stop, then he successfully becomes that wedge between you and God.