“Do one thing a day that scares you” is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, but I first read it on someone’s lunch box. I chuckled at the irony, because why would you do something that scares you? Moreover, why would that be the encouragement you print on someone’s lunch box?
But the reality is, we do scary things all the time. We’ve invented a hobby called skydiving, which is literally jumping out of a plane, we’re completely comfortable with traveling to the unknown depths of the ocean as long as we have an oxygen tank, and we’ll climb up a 30,000 ft mountain.
Even if your bucket list isn’t that crazy, there are a few things on there that another person would never agree to do. That’s why it’s called a bucket list. Yet there is nobody or nothing that can discourage you from attempting to complete that bucket list.
So why when God tells us to do something, do we allow people, circumstances, and odds, to discourage us from completing that assignment?
If the journey seems too long, or the task seems too hard, it’s an immediate veto. Sometimes we veto before we get a further understanding of what it is He’s asking us to do. In all honesty, regardless of whether we understand it or not, the answer should be yes. But at the very least, we should be open to inquire, open to listen, and open to surrender.
The bad news is that the task God gives us will most likely be hard, it might be long, and it will definitely seem scary. The reasoning is because He’ll never assign a task that He doesn’t expect to carry you through. If it were easy, we’d do it on our own, never once acknowledging Him. Then the purpose behind it would never be fulfilled.
The good news is that the task will most likely be hard, it might be long, and it will definitely seem scary. Which gives us the opportunity to lean, learn, and look. Lean on Him when we lose our balance, learn from the experience, and look back on it in remembrance of His faithfulness.
Fear and doubt are two of the most common barriers that hinder our obedience to God. Doubt causes fear and fear suffocates faith. So turn your fears into faith.
In every scenario, fear will always be the villain. It serves no purpose other than apprehension and restraint. Faith, however, can be either the victim or the victor. The one it becomes is entirely dependent upon the one you choose. Fear and faith are both mindsets. They’re not tangibly created, yet they can be tangibly destroyed. In order to destroy fear, you have to step out in faith. Physically step out in faith. Fear will always find you, but it won’t define you unless you let it.
Every step you take is a step closer to the prize. God’s words are never meaningless and His plans are never purposeless. Sometimes footprints are muddy, but the only way to get the mud off is to keep walking.
They say you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. But before you can shoot, you have to step onto the court. You never know what opportunity God has for you because that opportunity will only arise after you’ve taken the step in faith.
The ball is always in your court because God is always in your favor. A path is already designed for you, but it’s your choice to walk it. So add one more thing to your bucket list:
All faith, no fear.
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
– 1 John 5:4 NKJV
