Is Anyone Scared?

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9

"Is anyone scared?"

That was the powerful question posed to the group of Dream Makers I sat with around the table. We were all there, connected by our dream to be writers.

"Is anyone scared?  "The answer was "Yes".

Scared of not being good enough.

Scared of having our work rejected.

Scared of what people would say about the decision to follow our dreams.

Scared of failing. 

Scared of succeeding.

Scared of the vulnerability that is required of a writer.

Scared of being outside our comfort zones.

The Bible has countless stories of people who were also scared. Moses was afraid to confront Pharaoh about letting the Israelites go free and Jonah tried to run away from his purpose and ended up in the belly of a whale.

For many years, I was really scared and like Jonah, I tried to run from what I now know is my God-inspired dream. As a young girl, I would always write poems and short stories. I enjoyed creating words that came together in a way that would make my heart happy. Writing was a dream given to me by God, but for many years, the fear of sharing my work limited the number of people who read anything I wrote.

Now that I regularly share the words I write, it is not without fear. I am learning to accept fear as a feeling I cannot get rid of. It is my companion and it is my teacher. 

Around the table that night, I shared that whenever I write an article and get ready to press send, I have moments of hesitation. In those moments, fear has made its' presence known, but I’ve learned I can be scared and press send at the same time.

Once an article has been released to the world, I let it go. It is not up to me to determine who will read my work and whether or not they will take something positive from it, those details are left up to God. My part in his plan is to show up and do what is required of me. 

I have been publically sharing my work for almost a year now and have learned a few things. One lesson learned is that it is okay to be scared. Being afraid only becomes a problem when I allow my fears to be bigger than my faith. It is also a problem when I let my fears stop me from following my God-inspired dream. 

Leaving the meeting that night, I felt happy and empowered having shared my fears, but also because I was able to offer words of encouragement to others. The question posed in the group resonated deeply with me. Being scared is a universal feeling amongst people who are trying to change the direction of their lives. No matter if you are a pro or a beginner in living your God-inspired dreams, fear will show up. But having faith in God and in yourself allows you to persevere in spite of being scared.

Whenever we are called to step out of our comfort zones, we are not alone. God is always there, present and willing to help us. Joshua was called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt after the death of their leader Moses. In the opening chapter of Joshua, we find God telling him to not be afraid, to remember that wherever he goes God is with him. The words spoken to Joshua are the same words we can take comfort in and apply to our lives.

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Are you scared of what God is calling you to? What are you most afraid of? Send me an email I would love to hear your story and offer some words of encouragement.

As always, sharing is a good thing! Please share this article with someone you know.