Common Missteps We All Take
Most of my life, people commented on my storytelling abilities. Some said I would be on stage someday. Some told me that I should write a book. My favorite, though, was my PopPop’s words. He said, “You should become president because one day you’re going to change the world.” I tucked that into my heart and saved it for a rainy day. With these encouragements behind me, I decided to put my thoughts on paper. I felt whiplashed as well-intentioned opinions came flooding in.
“Are you sure you want to say that?”
“What will others think?”
“Did you really think this all the way through?”
“This might offend someone.”
It was when I received these comments that my doubt in my abilities grew so big. My fear of the unknown turned into a crippling Fear—paralysis by analysis. The people who had encouraged my storytelling and sharing, weren’t questioning whether or not I was a gifted writer or orator. They questioned my thoughts and opinions. I started too many blogs to only delete them, erasing all evidence of my words, after one or two posts. If people questioned me or didn’t like what I had to say, then I must not have heard God correctly. This must not be the path I’m meant to walk.
Again and again, my fingers would hover just above the keyboard ready to type out a story that happened and gave me a deeper understanding of God and His love for me and yet I couldn’t will my fingers to strike down and share it. Let’s just stay quiet, my fingers would murmur. Maybe one day people will find what we have to say as valuable. But not today. I’d close my laptop and walk away. I’d feel retreated and defeated.
How often do we allow those around us to dictate our obedience to God or what we do in general? Do you hold the opinions of others higher than the opinions of God? When I think back on those days where my fingers hovered above the keys ready to write but unable to strike down, I imagine God trying to reason with me the way He reasoned with Moses by the burning bush in Exodus 4. I can almost hear Him saying, “Elisa, I am with you. Why are you still afraid? Show them who I Am, and the rest won’t matter.” Is God trying to reason with you?
You might not desire to write like me, but there’s a good chance you’ve wondered about something—whether or not to have that conversation or start that business. Just like mine, your fingers hovered just above it. They were so close yet unable to strike the keys to make it happen. If this sounds familiar at all, it’s likely you’re believing Fear’s lies. His lie that stepping faith isn’t safe. His lie that God won’t cover you and protect you. His lie that God isn’t really with you. But God, the Creator of the Universe, doesn’t call us to failure. He calls us to trust.
God doesn’t call us to failure. He calls us to trust.
When I walked through the door to my fear cell and toward God’s promises, I began to notice some missteps I had taken. Missteps that lead me away from the promises of God and caused me to cling to my fear cell. Most of us will take these exact missteps in some form or another. They provide a false sense of security. The common thread in these missteps is the identity of God—who we believe God is. Having a deeper understanding of God’s character will unlock the door that sets us free from Fear.
Check out the next post for the first misstep…
