If I am to be honest, so am I. I have a word for the year too, I have the vision for 2019 but in the midst of it all, my heart encountered this very popular phrase - "Do it afraid."
I have seen it all over social media people living their 'best life' posing atop a mountainside, going skydiving, starting new businesses with the hastag #doitafraid. There is usually an explanation of how they conquered their fear by ..well..just doing it- afraid.
Let me be honest here - I looked at it and I agreed - A jubilant 'yes' resounded from me. I am going to face my fears and do it afraid too.I was proud of all these persons for conquering their fears but silently contemplated if I ever would.
A new year can bring such confidence
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| Fear not? |
But then this thing happened. My spirit said - 'Do it afraid or fear not?'
I was confused.
The question began to haunt me and I decided that I would allow my mind to mull it over a bit. Could this be a post for my reluctant series of the world vs. the word?
I went investigating what the bible had to say about fear, overwhelmingly it said, "fear not!" Then I happened to look if I saw any articles or posts about 'doing it afraid' - I saw plenty - plenty renowned christian authors posts about 'doing it afraid'. I curled in....ooops.
See - I was in opposition to the thinking of 'doing it afraid' and I was just a girl who mulled over something in her head. I was just a girl who began to think that saying 'doing it afraid' and 'fear not' were not one and the same. I began to feel like this thing laid on my heart was no longer valid. I began to fear that my thoughts would be totally discredited because I didn't agree with the popular sentiments of 'doing it afraid.'
'Doing it afraid'
The thing is that the disparity between doing it afraid and fear not seems so small and the outcomes are often the same. I am afraid to do something -I face my fears- I do it anyways- I achieve my goal. Even if I don't achieve what I originally set out to do - I have still gained because I will know what to do next time to improve my odds. Or at best I conquered my fear and now am better for it. There is no loser there right?
But for me - the tiniest, sliest word in 'doing it afraid' is 'I'. I did it afraid. I felt overwhelmingly, crippling fear and I did something to overcome that fear and came out victorious on the other side. It's hard to see - Like the serpent said to Eve - "You will not surely die"( Genesis 3 vs. 4) and she nor Adam certainly did not drop dead physically, but spiritually they died because of a subtle play on words.
Doing it afraid is acting in my own self and my own strengths to get past something that I fear. Let me use a practical example - say a person is afraid to fly but they want to experience an awesome vacation in Italy - they might try to do it afraid by :- travelling with a friend, taking a favourite book, listen to tapes about being positive or just simply do it afraid by going on the plane and being a nervous wreck and an annoying passenger. But best believe they will make it to Italy. They did it afraid. Actually, let's be fair, they could have even prayed about it and made it too.
But let's not be fooled the Word of God doesn't call us to do anything afraid, or feel the fear and do it anyways. The word of God calls us to be fearless.
Doing it afraid and being fearless is not the same thing.
Doing it afraid is acting from a point of self.
Fear not calls for one to be fearless in all situations because God is with you in every situation.
The bible has many accounts where it speaks of not being afraid - not because God thinks that as humans we will be brave in all situations ; he expects that we will be afraid or he wouldn't have said - Fear not. What He doesn't call for us to do is 'do it afraid.' He expects us to check that fear right at the door by calling on Him, that in our weakness of fear, we will gain bravery and strength to face the things that cause us to be afraid in the first place.
Moving towards something afraid is not trusting in God's ability to remove all doubt and fear from our hearts and minds so that we can act in the spirit of power and a sound mind.
It is entirely different to say - I am going on this awesome vacation in Italy because I know that the God I serve will protect me and remove all fear from my heart and mind rooted in whatever construct I might be operating in. Whether it is fear of terrorism, fear that the world is unsafe, or maybe someone I knew died in a plane crash or just general distrust of mechanics of a plane.
Perfect love casts out ALL fear.
If perfect love casts out fear how is it then that I am going to subscribe to doing something afraid? Isn't it reasonable to assume that even while I am doing the action I am still afraid? So what then was cast out? ( because fear has torment- 1 John 4 vs. 18) Is it to say that a fear can't be instantly cast out by God if I seek Him fervently to do so? Is anything too hard for God or are we ascribing our thinking to how God can operate?
Because he first loved us - perfectly- He doesn't ever want us to be tormented by any type of fear.
Fear of loving others, self; fear of flying, fear of dying, fear of spiders, clowns, towns or cities - no fear at all.
In the story of David and Goliath found in 1st Samuel, the army of Saul were greatly afraid of Goliath and his army. David, a shepherd boy came on the battlefield and was ready to fight, unafraid - his words - "the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine"(1 Samuel vs 35). Verses 45 and 46 are also instructive and proves that David wasn't operating out of fear or doing anything afraid - he had a certain confidence as he said "This day the Lord will deliver thee into mine hand;..."
The Bible accounts also of Moses who was asked in Genesis 12 by the Lord to 'get thee out of thy country, and from they kindred, and from they father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." Genesis 12 vs. 1. The story accounts that he left not knowing even where he was going actually and proponents of the 'do it afraid' thinking says when Abram left, he must have left being afraid but trusted in the Lord so much so that he left but the bible doesn't give an account of his fear - it only speaks to his certain trust and belief in his God. Where I believe that he 'did it afraid' is when he did not trust God enough to protect him when he went into Egypt and told his wife Sarai to lie and say she was his sister to save himself from being killed by the Egyptians - that he did afraid because he didn't ask God to remove the ungodly sense of fear and save him alive.- but I could be wrong.
The story of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego also shows that trust in God casts out all fear and causes one to act in strength and bravery. The Hebrew boys were not afraid of the firey furnace - their resolve was Our God will save us and if not we will still not bow to your gods. ( Daniel 3 vs. 17- 18).
They did not do it afraid - they feared not- they were resolute.
Doing it afraid is man's way - Fear not is God's way.
I am not afraid to do it because God is with me and he will carry me through is different from saying I will approach whatever I fear afraid.
It is so subtle, so very subtle but most of the lies of the enemy are.
Consider the following:
- Jesus did not do it afraid did He? Was He afraid to heal on the sabbath day but did it afraid anyways?
- Was he afraid to speak to scholars at the age of 12 but did it anyway?
- Was Jesus afraid to be challenged by religious Scholars but answered them afraid anyways?
- Was he afraid when tempted by the same devil that tempts us? Did he rebuke Him afraid?
- Was He afraid when they took him captive to crucify Him but did it afraid anyways?
- Was Jesus afraid to die on the cross but did that afraid?
Feel the fear and do it anyways? - was that Jesus' example?
Feel the fear - and do this
Psalm 34 vs. 4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
You might also like to read the first in the series - When hoarding becomes a thing
What fears are you facing today? Will you do it afraid or do it fearless as God intends? Let me know.
Tanya❤️
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