There are only two emotions: love and fear. All positive emotions come from love; all negative emotions come from fear.
-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
FEAR… We’ve all been afraid. Fear has crippled some of us, maybe all of us at one point in time. However, fear has also been a tool to challenge us and cause us to step outside of our comfort zone. Fear is often a catalyst for change. We change when the pain of remaining the same becomes too great a burden to bear.
You can either live your dreams or live your fears; the choice has always been and will always be yours. How many of us have settled into our fears? How many of us have stepped forward with courage and challenged fear? The reality is that you are walking in submission to something… love or fear. It is impossible to live out your true potential when you are walking in submission to fear.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18
A good indication that you are still walking in fear is to look at the emotions that you are currently and/or have consistently struggled with.
Fear-based emotions include, but are not limited to dishonesty, anxiety, worry, anger, apathy, confusion, jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness, shame, selfishness and pride. Matthew 7:16-17 says, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” What are the fruits of the spirit that result in walking in submission to the God of love? Love, joy, peace patience, gentleness, kindness and self-control, honesty, honor and gratitude are all signs that you are walking in love.
I find that we are quick to point out someone else’s shortcomings, but slow to be honest about our own. I prioritize growth over stagnation, clarity over confusion and peace over anxiety. This means that I am going to have to continually be honest with myself about where I am currently and where I want to be.
I battled horrible fear throughout my childhood and well into my 20s. I feared rejection, loss of something I loved, physical harm, abandonment and the list goes on. At some point in my late twenties, this scripture came alive to me. I started to ask God, “Where do I need to be healed?” I treated fear like a symptom that was leading me down a path of discovery instead of a reality that I needed to submit to.
This practice has taken years to implement. Humans are creatures of habit and old habits die hard.
Please don’t allow yourself to feel discouraged if you take inventory of your emotions and find that you are missing the mark. I have and I will at times miss the mark and fall back into old fear-based emotions. Life is not about perfection, but progress.
There is a sweet spot in God’s will for you, but you must want it for yourself more than anyone else wants it for you. Here is the truth: NO ONE WILL FIGHT HARDER FOR YOU THAN YOU. This is how it is supposed to be. You have a beautiful life full of potential, waiting for you to push back and lean into everything good that God has for you.
Do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:14
If you have been enjoying my articles, please visit hshaygood.com and click The Love Journey tab to order your copy of my new book and download the first chapter for free.
“Love is a journey not a destination.”
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