Today is day 165 of the Race.
But this past Friday, we officially reached the halfway point on the Race. We’ve done this thing for 5.5 months!!! That equally deserves a wowza and a yikes!!! & all the feels. Because halfway point of our journey people!!!! I can’t even believe it.
Moving into the second half of the Race, there were some things that I wanted to take with me, and there were some things that I wanted to leave behind.
This past Thursday, I got the opportunity to teach/share at our morning Chapel. I talked about one of the things that I chose to leave behind in month 3, but again made the decision that I was not going to bring it with me into the second half of my Race. I wanted to share a little insight of what I talked about, so please read the following.
FEAR
I want to talk to you all about a topic that I believe each one of us deals with daily. A topic that can sometimes hide itself within us. Something that we may not realize were walking in, and that’s fear.
So what is fear?
Fear: a state of being afraid.
So that can be a person, thing or an idea; it can even be a thought.
Once fear gets into your head, it’s really hard to battle with and it’s hard to escape your own thoughts. It’s really easy to hit a downward spiral with fear.
Fear is not just a mental thing, it can also physically affect you. It can literally be crippling.
I can say that from experience and I want to tell y’all about a time in my life recently where fear became crippling.
Month 3 of the Race, we were in Greece and we went canyoning on Mt. Olympus. We were rock climbing on mountains and jumping off of waterfalls. I had been overcoming my fears the entire day. Then we got to the very last waterfall and I climbed up to the top of it, and was getting ready to jump off of it and physically couldn’t get myself to jump. I froze. I began to have tears in my eyes. My body was pressed up against the mountain and I couldn’t move. The fear of jumping literally crippled me physically and mentally.
Before the Race, I wasn’t a person who really lived in fear, or at least I thought.
Once I came on the Race, the Lord helped me realize and see areas in my life that I had been letting fear take a hold of. And I have been able to bring these areas into the light. This moment being one of them.
I let fear get the best of me, but God also used that moment as a turning point in my life. That day He called me to walk in fearlessness and showed me the authority that I have over fear in my life. Fear has no place in the presence of God. He told me that I have the authority to tell fear to leave in the Name of Jesus. I can’t express the surpassing peace and freedom that I have found in learning the authority that I have and actually walking in that authority. And each one of you has that authority and can experience that same freedom as well.
I want to share a few scriptures throughout the Bible where the Lord tells us not to fear:
Psalm 27:1
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 43:1,5
V1 “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.””
V5 “ “Fear not, for I am with you.”
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
And now I would like to share a scripture with you all that talks about the peace of God and focusing our minds and thoughts on Heavenly things:
Philippians 4:6-9
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
When fear tries to creep in, I have to refocus my mind on the truths of God’s Word.
The Lord is still teaching me to be fearless in Him. It’s something that I have to choose to give Him and choose to walk in daily. I know that He is faithful, that with Him all things are possible, and that I am able to walk in the authority that He has given me. And I want to encourage you all to start walking in the freedom and authority that the Lord has given you, as well.
Fearlessly,
Madison
