The root of all fear is that dreaded question, “What if?” Our fears, no matter how pedestrian, literal, or abstract, all stem from this simple question. “What if she doesn’t really love me?” “What if the test comes back negative?” “What if there’s a monster under my bed?” We get ourselves into a flurry over the hypotheticals of life. And it often prevents us from reaching our pull potential or influence within our circumstances.
Fear is the enemy of any artist. The main fear of the artist is, “What if they don’t like what I’ve created?” The only real solution to this fear is to stop creating all together. So in order to be an artist, there is an inherent risk involved, as you are putting your heart on the line with everything you do.
Fear is also the enemy of any disciple. Just like the artist, it can cripple us from living a life that is fully lived. Nearly thirty times, the Bible tells us, “do no be afraid”. The Lord literally commands us to no be afraid.
Because when we look at our fears, we say “what if”, but when God looks at our fears, He says “so what?”
We worship a God who is the root of all things good, and all of the things that we might be afraid of are subject to His mighty will and power. As it says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us.”
From God’s perspective, our fears are nothing even to bat an eye at. He knows He is our comforter and protector, that we can find refuge in the shadow of the Almighty. The real question is, do we know that? Are we confident enough in God’s power and God’s love for us that we are able to look our fears straight in the face and say, so what?
What if the “what if” is “what if I’m not good enough”? What if God has called me to something I’m not sure I can handle. Artists and disciples alike are plagued with worry and fear about their inadequacy for their calling everyday. But God’s answer is still the same, “So what?”
In Exodus 4, Moses is called by God is right away expressed his fears of inadequacy. But God pounces on that right away in verse 12 saying, “go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” (Exodus 4:12 KJV)
Perhaps you may feel that you don’t have the strength or the talent to overcome your fears and fulfill your calling. But Exodus 4 reminds us that it will never be us who fulfills our calling, but the power and love of God through us.
-jon
Fear is the enemy of any artist. The main fear of the artist is, “What if they don’t like what I’ve created?” The only real solution to this fear is to stop creating all together. So in order to be an artist, there is an inherent risk involved, as you are putting your heart on the line with everything you do.
Fear is also the enemy of any disciple. Just like the artist, it can cripple us from living a life that is fully lived. Nearly thirty times, the Bible tells us, “do no be afraid”. The Lord literally commands us to no be afraid.
Because when we look at our fears, we say “what if”, but when God looks at our fears, He says “so what?”
We worship a God who is the root of all things good, and all of the things that we might be afraid of are subject to His mighty will and power. As it says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us.”
From God’s perspective, our fears are nothing even to bat an eye at. He knows He is our comforter and protector, that we can find refuge in the shadow of the Almighty. The real question is, do we know that? Are we confident enough in God’s power and God’s love for us that we are able to look our fears straight in the face and say, so what?
What if the “what if” is “what if I’m not good enough”? What if God has called me to something I’m not sure I can handle. Artists and disciples alike are plagued with worry and fear about their inadequacy for their calling everyday. But God’s answer is still the same, “So what?”
In Exodus 4, Moses is called by God is right away expressed his fears of inadequacy. But God pounces on that right away in verse 12 saying, “go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” (Exodus 4:12 KJV)
Perhaps you may feel that you don’t have the strength or the talent to overcome your fears and fulfill your calling. But Exodus 4 reminds us that it will never be us who fulfills our calling, but the power and love of God through us.
-jon
