I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Psalms 34:4 (NIV)
I just finished reading a book titled “What If?” In it, the author shares that one of his few regrets is that he did not take greater risks. Coming from a man who has accomplished so much, that declaration seemed strange. It made me wonder why people do not take more significant risks in life. I did not have to think hard. The answer is simple: fear.
The lack of opportunities, education, or resources is usually not why we do not do more. What stops us from taking risks in life is fear. I almost stopped driving because of fear. In my first months in Sacramento, where I live, I was in three serious auto accidents. I was not the driver in any of them, but I got the brunt of the hits in all of them. After the third accident, I could not force myself to drive for nothing.
God delivered me from that fear by His grace and taught me that fear is never a good advisor. If we listen to it, we will never do much. Fear paralyzes us by lying. Its motivation is hate, and its purpose is our destruction. Praise God that we do not have to be bound by fear. 1 John 4:18 tells us that God’s perfect love drives out fear from our lives.
Please, Child of God, never base your decisions on fear. Fear will always rob you of God’s blessings. God’s love should be what guides our lives. The next time you need to take a risk to go forward in life, do not listen to the voice of fear. Let the love of God inundate every area of your being. There will always be risks, but if God is with us, who can stand against us? Take the next step, say yes to the opportunity, and go forward!
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