Facing Down Fears

Often in life we find ourselves being held captive by fear. We think of all the "what-ifs" in life, look at the place we are most comfortable, and choose to stay there rather than press toward the destiny of God.

The Israelites did this very thing when approaching the promised land. Instead of seeing a land flowing with milk and honey, most only saw the giants standing in their way. Their fear of those giants kept them from stepping into the providence of God.

And yet they were only steps away.

Of the twelve spies that scoped out the land, only two saw the potential and were willing to fight for it. I know many probably believe that Caleb and Joshua were super human and did not feel any apprehension when looking upon Jericho and all that it contained, but I believe that they were human and, as humans, they had a pit in their stomach thinking about the odds and all that could go wrong.

Still, they had faith to believe that God would help them overcome the obstacles and achieve victory. After all, why would He have promised so much only to see them fail? Nothing was going to stop them from walking into that destiny and nothing was going cause them settle for the wilderness.

Judging by the vast majority of Israelites who chose the wilderness over the other, settling is a very easy thing to do.

In one sense, the wilderness is comforting. It represents a safety net that we construct around ourselves to ensure that nothing ever touches us. It is familiar and does not require much from those that live within its confines.

But if nothing touches us, what are we touching?

If one binds something up, trying their best to keep it contained, the thing that is bound will never experience growth. In the same way, fear binds us and keeps us from growing. If we choose the wilderness, we are destined to die there; a very scary thought when one thinks about it long enough.

Fear is a giant, but like the giants of Jericho, it can be defeated.

I want to be like Joshua and Caleb and approach God's promises with bravery. I pray that I will not settle for comfort, but will press on in order to obtain the prize. After all, like all things in regards to Christ and my life as a Christian, it is not only about me.