Courageous

So many people are frustrated, because they know they're not doing what they're meant to do. Yet they continue on. Why? Many people never fulfill the call of God on their lives simply because the devil uses fear to stop them. But the fact is, you'll never be truly happy if you don't fulfill your potential to be who God created you to be.

When God leads you to step out in an area to do something new or when He leads you to make a bigger commitment, you will most likely feel afraid. (If you're not, I think you're amazing!) Don't act just because you want it or when it is outside of God's timing; however, if you're sure God told you to do it, put your trust in Him and press onward. When God is moving, you can't be afraid to move with Him.

As I was reading Life:Beautiful magazine several months ago, I ran across this quote by Betty Miller that I felt fits perfectly here:

"God created each of us for a purpose. There's something that can only be done by you."

No matter how small, no matter how large, God can use you. Satan wants to destroy that, and he uses fear to get his way.

FEAR CAN MAKE US MISERABLE AND DESTROY OUR LIVES

Fear is also a tool that Satan uses against us to make us miserable and destroy our lives. Think regret. Think worry. Doubt. Fear so great it controls how you live your everyday life. This is what Satan works toward, and it's so easy if we let him get into our head.

Lie by lie, he infiltrates our thought lives: "You're not qualified," "You'll never make it," "It's too late," "No one loves you." Starting small, he feeds us lies, and if we let these lies continue they can grow into great fear that rules us. When we allow our fear to rule our lives, we act foolishly or allow our fears to prevent us from doing something that would be good for us, like starting a new career, writing that book, our repairing broken relationships.

Fear brings torment, according to 1 John 4:18. You can't enjoy life and be tormented at the same time. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a good plan for each of our lives. He doesn't want you to be tormented by fear or held back from your potential by it.

FEAR TAKES OUR FOCUS OFF OF GOD

Jenny Lee Sulpizio points out in her book, Reset, that Satan plagues our minds with doubt and concern (fear) over the circumstances in our lives in order to take our focus of God and to distract us. He does this to try to rob us of our faith, because he knows that fear is the opposite of faith. Our job is to learn to live by faith and not let fear rule our lives. Only then can we live a fulfilling, satisfying, peaceful, joyful life in Christ.

Part of becoming courageous is realizing that, any time we are making progress and moving forward in God's will, Satan will try to come against us and fill us with fear in order to drive us backward. He knows that fear can keep us from becoming what God created us to be, and His goal is to use that fear to keep us from fulfilling our purpose in life. Remember that "God wants us to walk by faith, and Satan wants us to walk by fear." You can't walk with both at the same time.

Don't forget the power of God's presence. This is the power of a God who's in control of us, our situations, our futures, and our souls. The God who created each one of us holds our lives in His hands. Don't allow Satan to trick you into believing otherwise.