Fear Is A LieSample

“WHO WE ARE FOLLOWING DETERMINES OUR FEAR” One thing that all of us have in common is that we are all following someone. I wonder if you have ever thought about who you are following and about how they influence your life. I have come to realize that who we follow determines who and what we fear. If we follow someone who is fearless, we will fear less; if we follow someone who is fearful, we will have much more fear. Fear is a learned trait; we can learn it from our parents, our role models and our bad experiences. But the good news is that if fear is a learned trait, then it is possible to unlearn it. Firstly, we need to identify our fears. Once we have done this, we can then choose to either run towards our fears or run away from them; to be overwhelmed by our fears or be overcome by them. Once we are honest with ourselves about who and what we fear, we can then choose to conquer our fears, but the first step is identifying where our fear lies. Today’s passage is the story of David and Goliath. Although it is a famous story that we may be familiar with, it contains some great points regarding how we can live a fearless life. When David turned up at the battlefield to see Goliath intimidating the Israelites, he saw them paralyzed with fear. David fearlessly stepped out and did what everyone else was too afraid to do, by taking on Goliath. Interestingly, after David’s epic win, his mighty men went on to defeat many giants. The key to David’s success was that David followed God, which made him fearless when others were fearful. His mighty men were inspired to follow his courage in taking on giants and also became fearless. We can be fearful or fearless, and both have a ripple effect on the people around us - our friends, our kids, our spouse, and our colleagues. When a ‘giant’ comes our way, how do they see us respond? In a financial recession, do they see us full of fear? When sickness hits, do they see us full of worry? When intimidation comes our way, do they see anxiety or fearless confidence? Rather than allowing fear to dictate our lives, let’s demonstrate what it is to be fearless and encourage each other to live a fearless life.