Hi, friends! I hope that this new week has been faring you well so far 
I also hope you have your reading pants on because I’ve got a slightly wordy one for you. Hey, that’s what happens when a girl’s only source of blogging material is a pen, a notepad, and her mind.
You see, on my commute home last night I found myself suffering from a classic case of “million mph mind-racing.” We’ve all experienced it, no?
It got me thinking about fear – something I must admit that I struggle with on a daily basis. Well…I used to, at least.
I’m not talking about “typical” fears, though, like heights or spiders. In my life, fear tries to sneak in and rear its ugly head just about everywhere.
I fear missing out on certain things in life.
…but I also fear that taking certain risks will backfire on me.
I fear being hurt by others.
…but also fear that I might settle for less than I deserve.
I fear making hasty decisions.
…but I also fear that I over-think too much.
(Clearly this post is beginning to point toward the latter on that one. Ahem.)
For the longest time I thought that these fears were normal. I thought it meant that I was just being “smart.” But the truth is that my fears became so debilitating that they kept me from moving forward and making any sort of impact with this life and calling I’ve been given.
Thankfully, I can say that the past few months have taught me that these fears are certainly not normal. I guess you could say I sort of got to the point where I just stopped caring so darn much about whether or not I was going to be struck with the worst-case-scenario. And, that gave me a sense of freedom with my choices and taking (what I considered to be) certain risks.
…It’s not just about “taking risks,” though. Sure, risk can be a great thing sometimes, but it’s not the only alternative to being free of fear. If you ask me, freeing ourselves from these fears we impose on ourselves is one of the most basics steps we must take in order to just…live. And I mean really live.
So, you might be thinking, “how does one live without fear in a society and world saturated with pain, lies, and negativity around every corner?” For me, the answer has been simple.
Fear GOD and God only.
Because when you fear God, the fear of other things seem to become completely insignificant.
Fearing God isn’t about being afraid of Him. It isn’t about being worried, anxious, or distressed. Instead, to fear God is to be in awe of Him and humbled by the fact that there is nothing…literally nothing we fear in life that could come even close to defeating Him. And, nothing that we do or don’t do will change God’s sovereignty or mercifulness.
So fight fear with fear. And fear God – not just because it makes the other fears disappear – but because He is worthy of it.
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Do you have a fear-consumed area in your life? How do you (if at all) work towards overcoming it?
Beautiful post. I recently read something about fear (logical, meant to protect us) vs anxiety (irrational, won’t protect us) which really made sense to me.
I have to agree about your first fear - missing out on experiences is my biggest fear too. Thankfully I’ve got a very impulsive personality and will do just about anything that pops into my head before I have the chance to talk myself out of doing it. I’m determined to pack as much into this lifetime as I can because I’m terrified of getting to the end of my life and feeling like I missed out on all it had to offer!
This is so great! I definitely live in fear, often started with “what if…” It leads to such a hindered life and I don’t want to live that way anymore! I’ve found that realizing when I am thinking about a fear (basically over thinking and analyzing something to no end) and then making a conscious effort to stop then and there has helped a lot. It’s still definitely hard, but I’m working on it. Thanks for your advice!
Kallie says
Thank you for sharing…with school being crazy and trying to get done with requirements, I have fallen victim to fear. Be strong..Joshua 1:9
I really appreciate this post. Fight fear with fearing God is so true. I have been checking myself lately because I have realized that having fears is NOT from God. He desires for us to live a life free and full in His grace and love. What a great reminder! Thanks!
Fear is something I’ve struggled with pretty much my whole life as well as (often debilitating) anxiety. I’ve had ups and downs with it but I totally agree that when you feel out of control you just have to trust in God and know that everything happens for a reason. Great post
Brittany says
Girl, this post speaks to my heart! I am 18 an have struggled with anxiety disorders ever since I was a little girl. Somedays it is really hard to fight back, but the Lord is so faithful to brig me strengh when I need it most! It is so encouraging to know that I am not alone in my struggle!
This is an awesome post! I have been strggling with fear recently and learning to put ALL of my faith in god. My sister bought this book for me, which I have yet to read, but she said it will really help with my faith in christ. No more fear
http://www.maxlucado.com/fearless/
Thank you for the book suggestion!!
Very well said! A great post to start off the week
Remembering God’s power ALWAYS helps me feel more at ease about anything else I may face or fear I face. I still sometimes automatically think worst case scenario, but I always fall back on God and know its in His hands and thats all that matters. Great post, Gracie! I love when you have your “overthinking” posts. 😉
Brooke says
amen.
Lindsey says
Love this!! I have struggled so much this year with simply trusting in God’s timing and understanding that he truly is in control of everything. When you forget that God truly is almighty, that is when fear steps in! Thanks for the reminder!
Gracie, I love this post. You have no idea how much I relate to every single word you said. My fears are crippling- holding me back. The fear of failure and the fear of the unknown keep me trapped and unhappy every day.
I try to rely on God to get me through, but I often get overwhelmed. I know that I need to turn to Him more, and like you said, learn to fear ONLY Him!
Great post, Gracie (:
Such a great post! I definitely am a “worrier”, but not necessarily “feaful” of everything. I’m so glad that you’re breaking free from your fears!
Alison says
This is such a great post for me. Lately, my mind has been racing. I’m always consumed with everything going on around me and I over-analyze everything. It’s gotten to the point now where I’m just so exhausted. My biggest fear in my life is that I’m not living it to its full potential. There are so many big and little things that I want to accomplish that just haven’t happened yet. I’m working on trusting in God that things will work out for the best. I pray every day to have the motivation to become more of a “go-getter” in this world. Thanks for the inspiration, yet again.
Amen! This is such a fantastic, well-written post. You totally pinned “fearing” God. So many people don’t understand what that truly means. I think you’re pretty darn awesome for being so open about your relationship with God. You may not know it, but it really takes a lot of courage. Thanks for reminding me of that.
Thanks Colleen…I needed that!! I always get nervous when I post about my faith to this extent because I know that not all of my readers will agree, but I almost feel like it’s a responsibility/calling of mine, you know?
And if that’s the way you feel, then you MUST write about it. Like you said, I’m sure not everyone agrees, but hopefully people are respectful enough to appreciate what you’re saying. I think you’re great!
Helen says
Wow…
Such a good post, thanks for sharing that.
I sometimes overwhelm myself with “Fear” too! I definitely lean on God and let him help me through it!
Ashley says
Thankyou for that great post. :)I get pretty overwelmed with fears a lot and i’ve learned its important to look to God and it’s easy to overcome such fears.
love this post, it was definitely needed.
i love reading your posts because i can relate to them so much!
you’re awesome, gracie!
I love this post. I am definitely a worry wort!
I fear being alone, I fear failing, I fear doing bad on a test. It’s too time consuming to live in fear and definitely not healthy!
Awesome post Gracie! 😀 I really struggle with my fear of failure, which holds me back from doing so many things. I mean, I’ve been running for more than 2 years now and I still haven’t run my first race because I’m scared of not getting a good enough time. I need to just DO it!
I dunno Gracie- I love your blog but I disagree with your methodology behind this post. I guess this technique could work sometimes, but sometimes we combat fears by facing and challenging them head-on, sometimes we identify faulty logic or self-protection that produces the fear, some fears need therapy to address… I guess I feel like, as a counselor, its important to say that I don’t think your premise here is real accurate. But, if someone is experiencing real anxiety there are a lot of great and effective ways to address that!
Plus, fear of God is not actually comparable with fears of other things. Its a semantics thing…
“fear of God is not actually comparable with fears of other things. Its a semantics thing…” <— yep! I was playing of the semantics in a way, I guess. The two definitions of fear are very different from each other, for sure. I probably should’ve prefaced that I’m not saying that this concept is a “cure all” for fear and anxiety. Fear/anxiety can definitely escalate to the point that therapy is needed, and thankfully I’ve never suffered from fearful thoughts to that extent. But as far as not letting certain fears hold *me* back in life, establishing that God is in control and He is above even the fears that I have been consumed with in the past - that has been what truly helped me move forward. So I can’t say that it’s a “how to” so much as it’s a personal belief! Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Carm! I do appreciate it (and all of your comments, for that matter :))
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback, Gracie! I think one of my hang-ups are those times when we can’t just prey through something… that can be so discouraging, when it feels like God is far or when it’s hard to know how to fear Him and love Him in certain moments… that’s why I love being a Christian and a counselor, though!
So thanks for sharing your story/stories too… you encourage people with the various things on your blog! It’s really the only one I consistently read
wow- thank you so much for this post girl. fearing God is something so hard to grasp.. why should we FEAR someone who saves us? but really, we should worship and serve Him out of the fear in our hearts for Him. its a good fear, like you said. its so hard to explain!!
and also- i cant tell you how much your comment meant to me. i have watched you grow SO MUCH over the past year and it has been so so beautiful. you are a gem, Im so excited to see where God leads the both of us (HOPEFULLY WE CAN MEET SOON!) love you!
P.S. I had an anxiety disorder and was effectively treated for it. I certainly still have fears and insecurities but there are tons of great psych techniques that really work!
This hits home with me so much right now!! There are some times in my life where I feel as if I fear everything. It is mostly brought on my stress. While stress is a good motivator, it also creates WAY too much negativity in one’s life.
How I get over it-
My Grandmother watched me every day while my parents worked for the first eleven years of my life and she is a truly AMAZING woman. She now lives alone since my grandfather’s death and only has a quarter of her heart active but she walks every day and has a more positive attitude than anyone I know. A quote she tells me very often is: “Send all your worries to God. He’s the only one who can do anything about them anyway” It is so true.
Bloggers like you have inspired me to start a blog of my own! (Just this past weekend! ) Thanks for all you share!
sincerelysavvy.wordpress.com
Wow, everyone needs a grandmother like that. You are blessed!
Congrats on the new blog!!
xoxo
“Instead, to fear God is to be in awe of Him and humbled by the fact that there is nothing…literally nothing we fear in life that could come even close to defeating Him. And, nothing that we do or don’t do will change God’s sovereignty or mercifulness.”
I feel like something just “clicked” in my head. It was an ah-ha! moment. I love this and will always think about this when my fears come into play. Nothing is as important as Him. Thank you for posting this!!
Sara, that seriously makes me so happy to hear…er…read
Take care, sweet girl! xoxo
Preach, girl!!!
(Haha, sorry, I was helping with the youth group last night and now I’m talking like them!)
I live in a constant state of fear and anxiety. I need a consistent reminder it should be Whom I fear not What. Thank you for that reminder today.
Brandi says
You’re a beautiful woman of God! Thank you for being so radiant of His love. Spread that word, and together we can change the world for the better!!
Liz says
While using stumbleupon.com(wonderful,yet addicting!) I came across your blog. When I first started scrolling through I was like wow! Your blog is like what my blog would look like if I had one(but yours is probably better). I scrolled through, and loved the cupcake and blondie recipes, and all the other fun tidbits, but most of all is the Christian message that I was so happy to see! I love this post about fearing God, I had a conversation with a skeptical Christian about this topic the other day. To fear God isn’t to be terrified of him, but to be in awe of his power. Well put! Thank you for your encouraging blog and Christian messages. Continue to be a bold woman of God, God is using your blog to reach and lift up others! Praying for you and the great message that your blog brings to other girls!
Thanks for all the great posts!
-Liz
Wow Liz, thank you SO much for this comment. It is such an amazing encouragement to me!!!
First off so glad I found your blog! I’ve been on a NYC kick with bloggers lately trying to convince myself that a move back to my home state is the right move to make. I loved the posts I read, the FAQs, about me, etc, but this post really sealed the deal. I am the queen of over-thinking, over-analyzing, making nothing into something. It can definitely hold me back and be debilitating. Even the thought of having a conversation when I’m scared of the answer leads me to not have the conversation at all. I am not a strict Christian, but I am pretty spiritual and fearing God is something I believe in. It isn’t about being “scared”, it’s about knowing that there is a power out there that is higher than you, more in control than you are, and that has a message to send sometimes through you, sometimes leaving you out of control. Submitting to that is “scary” but can also be one of the greatest gifts.
Hey Gabriella! Thank you so much for this comment. It really means so much when I feel like someone “gets” my posts, you know?
From my perspective, it seems like you’re definitely in the right place with your spirituality. To me, being a Christian isn’t about following a particular religion, it’s about having a *relationship* with God. And recognizing His power and sovereignty is what makes that relationship even that much more meaningful, you know?
Take care, girlie
xoxo