Overcoming fear is hard, but it can be done. Good news: You don’t have to do it alone. As the song says, “The God of Angel Armies” is always by our side. In His strength we stomp out this enslaving enemy emotion that desires to keep us in bondage.

This bondage to fear keeps us from realizing and developing the awesome God-given potential that He placed in each one of us. Staying in the place of fear enslaves us so there’s no opportunity to experience the many joys that can come with the gift of just being alive. It keeps us from trying new things. It keeps us from the enrichment we can receive from meeting and getting to know new people. It keeps us stuck where we are so we don’t continue developing the amazing person we are. It keeps us from hope. The opposite of living in fear is living with courage driven confidence.

So how can we move forward to a place of courage and confidence?

• Believe the truth about ourselves. We are wonderfully and uniquely made by God. We all have good gifts and abilities that God in love gave us.
• Find ways to develop our gifts and abilities and use them to bless others.
• Say no to comparison thinking or competitive motivation.
• Get rid of negative, self-defeating thoughts. Say no to the lies of the enemy!
• Be willing to take risks and do new things that are out of our comfort zones. Don’t allow the worry of failure to keep you from moving forward. If it’s not perfect, it’s okay and you’re still okay.

Decide today to do something that will move you forward in conquering any fear that may be immobilizing. We gain courage by action. We gain courage by right beliefs. We gain courage by faith in what God says. “I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:11