I meet with people almost every week to talk about purpose and creativity. In most cases if not all, I find that fear is holding them back in some way. What's more, most don't recognize the fear because it disguises itself so well. I have found this true in my own life, so let's talk about fear and what it is costing you.
WHERE IS IT?
Any more, I don't need to see the affects of fear to go looking for it in my own life. I assume it's there, so I begin to turn over the rocks, so to speak, in my heart and mind looking for the scorpions of fear that live below. I am no longer in denial but living in reality that fear is my constant companion. I must recognize it, bring it to the light of day, and confront it or else fear will continue to rob me of my opportunities.
So I go on a fear hunt, saying to myself, "Where is it? I know it's here somewhere? Aha there it is!"
What am I afraid of? You name it. I am afraid of what others think. I am afraid that I don't have enough time to do something. I am afraid I don't have time to do something well. I am afraid I may miss the Lord by doing something. I am afraid I will miss the Lord by not doing something. I am afraid I won't have the finances to do something before me to do.
You get the idea by now. You may think I am weird or unusual, but don't you have the same struggle?
WHERE DO WE GET IT?
We get our fears from our parents going all the way back to Adam and Eve. When Adam and Eve fell, what did they do? They hid. And why did they hide? They hid because they were afraid!
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (Genesis 3:8-10).
WHAT TO DO?
I want you to do this week what I am doing. I want you to assume that fear is present in your life and go looking for it. Know that it is cleverly disguised as being rational or spiritual and it can and does make a convincing case that it really isn't fear. Don't buy into it! Confront it for what it is, for until you know and accept the truth, the truth cannot set you free. Knowing it's fear is the first step to courage.
Once you find the fear, consider what it has cost you and then take action to counteract the effects of the fear. If you are like me, you will like the results of that exercise so much that you will no longer wait for fear to knock you on the side of the head before you deal with it. Instead you will go looking for it, knowing that is the great enemy of purpose and creativity that has cost you much in the way of productivity and joy. Have a great week!
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KENYA: Every day that passes brings me closer to my departure on January 31 and I still need about $17,000 to reach my goal to be able to bless the children and widows in Kenya. If you can help, please give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you!
DAILY DEVOTIONAL: My new daily devotional is getting a lot of attention. You can find it here and, once you check it out, you can subscribe to receive it there, too.
FACEBOOK: Please go to my PurposeQuest International ministry page on Facebook and give me a "Like." I will be transitioning a lot of my ministry stuff I currently place on my personal FB page to that ministry page soon.
ISRAEL: The time to register for my September pilgrimage is now! Attached is the brochure. Let me know if you are going for space for the trip will disappear soon. The brochures is attached below.
PURPOSECOACH: I have resurrected my PurposeCoach program, but this time put it all online to make it easier and more streamlined for you. And for the month of January only, I am offering a special price of $99 for the program, which includes some listening, some reading and some connecting time with me. I am attaching a FAQ sheet concerning PurposeCoach, along with an enrollment application, below.
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