Fear is a BullySample

Fear Is A Bully

As a little girl, I saw a live production of Peter Pan. It was thrilling!  I was imprinted forever with the belief “all the world is made of faith and trust and pixie dust.” I believed if Peter, Wendy, and the boys could fly, so could I. I practiced flying when I was awake, and I dreamed of flying while I slept. I soared over beautiful landscapes and out over the sea. In my nightmares, flight became my failsafe to escape the villain. No one could catch me! 

As I got older, I stopped believing and became afraid. At first, I developed a fear of heights. It was a subtle feeling that escalated into a fear of flying. I allowed other fears to enter and they wreaked havoc in my life. Fear gripped me with fears of drowning, enclosed spaces, heights, and even crowds. Fear convinced me I couldn’t fly. I felt trapped, like a bird held hostage in a cage or a child in Neverland without her pixie dust.

I yearned for the long-lost belief I could fly, without fear or hesitation. Peter Pan said, “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” However, God lives outside of forever. He can restore the wings of the caged bird. His mercy, more powerful than pixie dust, is fresh each morning. It is belief and hope—the stuff dreams are made of. 

Even if you consider yourself brave, fear may be fighting to hold you in the dark. It is normal to have some fear. It is not, however, healthy to embrace the spirit of fear. That spirit seeks your destruction. It aspires to kill your hopes and dreams, your faith and trust, your purpose and destiny. It will take your freedom. Ultimately the spirit of fear intends to destroy God’s designs for you:  to love and be loved and to have a relationship with Him and with others.

Fear is a bully! But I have decided fear will not be the boss of me! And, it doesn’t have to be the boss of you, either!

Has there been a time you were brave and full of belief? 

What fears have stopped you from soaring and going after your dreams?