“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”
Joshua 1:9
Moving past fear.
Have you ever been in place of feeling stalled in fear? Have you asked yourself all the “what ifs” that keep you clinging to safety and unable to move forward? What if this happens? What if I’m not enough? What if this isn’t what I’m meant to do? What if this relationship, this situation, or this dream crumbles?
I often ask these questions while slipping into a cycle of doubts and fears. But I’ve noticed that none of these questions actually help me love God or love people better. In fact, waiting and wondering about what might happen or what I should do actually keeps me from leaning fully on the Lord to trust Him in the places that aren’t always clear.
We don’t always get all the answers. That’s hard, isn’t it? Sometimes we have to walk forward without seeing everything from start to finish. Too often I’m tempted to wallow in the unknowns, to wonder and fret rather than to move forward in what I know that I can do.
What we think about determines what we will do. If we keep our minds filled with doubts, it’s likely we won’t act but rather keep ourselves in a box that feels safe. If we fill our minds with the truth about God and ourselves, we are more likely to move forward in confidence, even when the road isn’t perfectly clear.
Never alone.
I hope today’s verse from the book of Joshua is an encouragement to you. Even Joshua felt some fear or uncertainty as the great task of leading God’s people was set before him. But, as God reminded him, he would never be alone. God would be with him through the battles and the hard days.
Whatever we face is not too hard for God. It might feel discouraging at the moment, or throughout the season we are in, but we are not alone. The promise is for you too, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Takeaway Action/Challenge: What has your head spinning in doubt today? What are the “what ifs” you’re dwelling on and giving your focus? What are those doubts keeping you from moving forward or accomplishing something? Give those questions to God. Ask Him for wisdom, and choose to move forward confidently knowing that God is with you. He will help you.
