The Sometimes Very Brave Girl

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. – Deuteronomy 31:6
 
She jumped out of the booster seat onto the floor of the minivan, and reached for her mom to help her onto the ground. At four years old the world was such a big place—and so fascinating! Every visit to the park, the library, the store, and the science museum promised new adventures and raised her excitement levels.
 
“Mama! Horses! I want to ride the horses!” Lucy squealed, pointing toward the coin-operated carousels with colorful fiberglass animals. Lucy skipped beside her mom as they crossed the parking lot, chatting the entire time. “I want to ride the purple horse! And the pink horse and the blue horse! Mama, can I ride all the horses?”
 
As they approached the sidewalk in front of the store, Lucy stopped. Her mom looked at her daughter’s face, surprised to see a frown. “Do you know which one you want to ride?” she asked, opening her coin purse to pull out a quarter.
 
Lucy moved over to hide behind her mom, and shook her head. “No-oo… I don’t want to ride anymore,” she said in a whisper.
 
The mom looked at the painted animals and knelt down at eye-level with her daughter. “Lucy, what’s wrong? Do they look scary? I’ll be right here,” she said, wrapping her arm around Lucy’s waist. “Are you sure you don’t want to ride?”
 
Lucy still clung to her mom’s side as they walked past the carousel, but once they got inside the store, her fears passed and the frown disappeared—she was her usual cheerful self.
 
There are days when I’m a lot like Lucy. I see an opportunity from a distance, and I want it. Until I’m right next to it and can see it in a different light. On closer inspection, I can’t get past all its imperfections, the risks, the what-ifs, and the menacing faces. And I find every reason to be afraid. 
 
So many times I’ve volunteered to take on a task—like wallpapering a friend’s house, planning a large church event, or serving as a leader in the youth group—and once I realized what was involved, I felt myself overwhelmed with fear, dread, and a nagging sense of incompetence.
 
What was I thinking?! I don’t know if I can do this!
 
It’s a natural response to be afraid. Everyone is afraid at one time or another. 

If you’re in leadership, you’ve already proven that you’re a very brave girl—at least sometimes. Choosing not to give in to fear is the first step toward overcoming it. And it’s the brave ones who push forward, through the fear and past the fear. 
 
Good things await on the other side of fear. But we’ll never experience those good things if we let fear win. Because fear cripples and sabotages our best efforts at leading and serving well. 
 
In Numbers 13 and 14, we read about the 10 spies who went with Caleb and Joshua to scope out the land of Canaan. Scripture says that God gave Moses specific instructions for the mission, and Moses followed those instructions, sending the leaders on their way. The 12 men stayed in the land for 40 days, and when they returned, they gave a report: “Yes, there’s an abundance of produce. But the people are bigger and stronger than we are, and the cities are huge! If we try to take the land, we’ll be destroyed!”
 
Fear is contagious. The people panicked when they heard the report from the 10 men who gave into their fears, and the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron and against God. Allowing their fears to guide them, they missed out on the blessings God wanted for them.
 
Caleb and Joshua disagreed with the negative report. If they were afraid, they didn’t vocalize it or act on it. Instead, they believed God and tried to encourage the people to believe with them.
 
Life is full of challenges, obstacles, and risks. But that’s where faith comes in. Faith is contagious, too. When God initiates a plan, he can be trusted to accompany us each step of the way. And knowing that is energizing! 
     
Courage is grace under pressure. And courage shows up when we refuse to give in to fear. If it’s God’s idea, and he is leading you in the direction of your fear, he wants to bless you. Once you believe that, there’s nothing to be afraid of.