Fifteen years ago, I sat on the edge of a small boat in the Philippines, tears streaming down my face, paralyzed with fear, as I was being told to get into the ocean so I could begin the snorkeling experience I had paid for. We weren’t exactly snorkeling; instead, we were clinging to a wooden plank being towed through the water. All I had to do was open my eyes behind my mask, breathe through my snorkel, and admire the coral below. I didn’t even have to swim! But I was terrified and cried into my mask the entire time.
Last week in Tulamben, Indonesia, I put on my scuba diving gear and walked straight into the dark waves to do my first-night dive, feeling completely calm and fearless. It was pitch black all around me except for my two dive buddies. We swam out into the black water until my torch (underwater flashlight) landed on an enormous figure emerging from the darkness. It was the USSR Liberty Shipwreck. We spent an hour in the black water, shining our lights on everything we could. I have never seen so many beautiful colors and creatures in my entire life. It was exhilarating!
The time between these two experiences was marked by intentionality and a steadfast determination NEVER to let fear dictate my life. They reflect two entirely different versions of myself. Had I remained a person ruled and dictated by fear, I would never have experienced this opportunity or accomplished this goal.
We allow the enemy to lie to us so often, and it robs us of more life than we could ever imagine. How often do we believe those fears, those lies, those internal battles we face? God has not given us that spirit of fear according to 2 Timothy 1:7. Who does it come from?
We entertain and play with literal demonic spirits when embracing fear, choosing to keep it like a little pet, and it is constantly available to paralyze us and remind us of how incapable and fearful we are and need to remain.
Remember, the enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy our lives (John 10:10). That includes God’s blessings, favor, opportunities, identity, confidence, peace, and LIFE, just to name a few.
Pastor Dean Curry recently said, “Happiness is on the other side of commitment.”
And that is true in this scenario as well. To remove fears from your life takes determination. It takes an intolerance of the freakin devil and his evil tricks and schemes. It takes you drawing a line in the sand, choosing sides, and not backing down.
Taking the easy path or caving to the enemy is much easier. You can choose to live your entire life in safety, comfort, and cushion. And you can also throw away every incredible blessing God has designed for you all because you were unwilling to break free from the spirit of fear.
Who wants to live their life being controlled by a demonic spirit? HARD PASS.
I encourage you, my bold, beautiful, fearless, and GOD-FEARING friends, to smash through fears and conquer more things than you could ever imagine as God leads you into the life HE has planned. Not the one the enemy is trying to fool you with. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
GO GIRLS, LIVE LIFE FEARLESSLY, the way God has designed us to!!
