Faith Over Fear
"I am with you always. Matthew 28:20 (Image: Unsplash)
For those who don’t know me, I was the shy type growing up. Though I wanted to be in the spotlight, I often shied to the background when the opportunity came.
It was not that I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do - I spent years dreaming about the chance to show my stuff.
Like any actor or comedian, I faced a bout of stage fright so immense it forced me to doubt myself and run back to my ‘safe place’ - away from faces, stares, and shameful name-calling.
So, if you’d told me a year or more ago that I would have an internship where I get paid for shooting my mouth off, as it were, I never would have believed you. But that happened on March 17, 2023, when I took on a new role as the host of The Honey Vibes Weekend Radio Show on Jazzy 89.9 FM.
I picked the radio handle or nickname The Electric Honeybee and charmed my way into listeners’ hearts every weekend from 2 - 6 pm. Yeah, those were the glory days.
You may be asking, what changed from that time till this? Me, that’s what changed. I eventually started taking God’s word seriously when he said he did not give me the spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
I believed GOD when he said in Phillippians 4:13 that I could do all things through Christ, which strengthened me. I believed GOD when he said that we are more than a conqueror through all these things through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
To be clear, GOD already said all these things in his word. But our timidity keeps us from believing that he said these things and that his words applied to us, too.
Although we spent months preparing and visualizing ourselves performing well, when opportunities arose to show our best selves, Satan sent that old spirit of fear filling up in our minds, coursing through our veins, fueling its way to our hearts, and making our knees feel weak.
My friends, this is simply the enemy’s way of tempting you to turn away from your blessing. If this has happened to you, Don’t let him win!
God did not give us the spirit of fear, but power love and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (Image: Unsplash)
We must choose faith in Christ over fear from the Enemy!
The next time an opportunity arises and you feel unsure about whether you’re qualified to do it - remember what God said in Ephesians 2:10 -
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
This means that God would not have allowed this opportunity, this chance, to happen if it weren’t meant for you. You’re here because GOD brought you here. HE made it happen. In new-generation slang, he hyped you up! It’s here, and it’s meant for you to do well.
What else does this mean? That despite the lies of imposter syndrome and other named insecurities, you are qualified to do this work. Exodus 4:12 says:
“Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
