There are at least 170 scriptures in the Bible where God tells us to “fear not”. Some people say that count is closer to 365 (0ne for every day of the year). Whatever the true count is, God is trying to impress on us that a “spirit of fear” is not something we should have on us.

I can remember growing up and being so afraid to speak in public. Somehow, I was able to avoid any public speaking in high school but when I got to college it was a different story. I had to take this one class where you had to give a speech. That was the scariest thing I ever did in college and I was not good at all. In fact, I froze about half way through the speech and totally lost my train of thought. That was the only class that I made a “D” in throughout college.

You can just imagine what I thought when I felt God calling me to preach. No way God! I can’t speak in front of people. You have made a big mistake. I don’t even know what to say. On and on my excuses went. Well, we are now in our 34th year of ministry and I have spoken before thousands of people and have never run out of anything to say.

You have to run toward your fears – You have to do it afraid. For me, I had to speak afraid. The more I spoke, the more fear had to bow. Take every opportunity to run toward your fears.

God has called us all to do great and mighty things. As one great American President (Franklin D. Roosevelt) once said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” So true!!

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