Created for a Purpose in 2022Sample

DAY 6: Dealing With Fear

Today, you will start taking ownership over what God has placed in your heart.

When you come to OWN your purpose, you begin to make strategic decisions to advance your destiny. Whenever you take ownership of something, the first thing to do is to become aware of the obstacles that could prevent you from advancing toward your goals.

One easy way to identify obstacles is to look at your fears and failures. I’m sure some of you have heard people define FEAR as False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s true. Fear is an illusion of the mind that tries to keep you safe by preventing you from moving forward into the unfamiliar. Unfortunately, the unfamiliar is exactly where your destiny lies!

We all have fears – it’s part of being human. The key is not to let those fears become obstacles that could stop you from serving God’s purpose. If Jesus had let His fears consume Him about His destiny to go to the cross for us, He never would have done it. His passion for us outweighed the cost of His fears. Journaling is an excellent tool. Writing down your fears helps you see them and get some distance to begin finding ways to deal with them.

Takeaway: We all have fears – it’s part of being human. The key is not to let those fears become obstacles that could stop you from serving God’s purpose.

Challenge yourself: List the first three fears that come to mind about pursuing your purpose. If you’re unsure what your fears are, think about the “what ifs” that seem to stop you cold when you think about pursuing your passions or purpose. Another place to look is where you feel you’ve failed in the past. Experiencing failure can make you afraid to risk feeling foolish or embarrassed again, and those fears can prevent you from moving forward.

Be courageous – don’t let embarrassment or feelings of failure prevent you from doing this exercise. These fears are real to you, and identifying them will take you another step closer to your destiny.

Write down as many more fears as you can think of. Do you see any patterns in your fears?