Facing your fear is a part of life these days. You find yourself distracted, unable to focus. Unable to work. To write. To do much of anything.
Using an old pattern of thinking and analyzing things, you may view this pandemonium as avoidance and not facing your fear. We might call it procrastination, for example. This would be wrong in most cases.
For example, in response to the pandemic, I fell into doing housework, laundry, gardening, long-term grocery shopping, etc. Last week, I polished a silver pitcher, for crying out loud. It made me feel better. I’d tripped up my love when a few terse words came unthinking out of my mouth. I’m using it to water the plants. Somehow it feels fitting.
Facing your fear is not procrastination
This conduct is not procrastination so reject any shame that tries to attach itself. We’re doing different actions because the world changed. Whatever actions we take these days will move swirling energies our bodies need to disburse. Our actions are healthy responses to our body’s needs.
Unrelieved stress leads to disease. We move, we cook, we vacuum, we clean. Each action may not be preplanned as in the old days. But we’re not in Kansas anymore.
I heard a creative once describe how he tries to do one really scary thing each year. I mean really scary. Shaking in your boots stuff. It’s part of how he feeds his creativity.
You see, he feels he needs to experience what it’s like to be really scared – like jumping from a plane (with a parachute) – so he can remind himself no matter what he faces, he can make it through. He can face his fears and survive them.
And yes, we’re right there with him in our own homes and apartments these days.
Fear is a big pitfall in the creative life and the spiritual journey. It stops you from moving forward. If you can somehow make it through what scares you, you exercise the muscles you need to repeat facing fear again. That muscle strengthens every time you use it and although you will still quiver and shake at the next scary thing, you now know (from experience) that you can make it through whatever lies ahead.
You need muscle to be creative.
The creative process engages us in facing our fears and moving through them. I know if you’re not a writer, writing doesn’t look scary to you. Trust me, it is. When you put your work, your vulnerable truth, out into the world, it creates a real ache in the gut or jaw or wherever you hold your fear.
Satan uses fear as one of his great weapons to keep you away from connecting with your heavenly Father. He knows he can conjure up some image of a judgmental God in your mind or get you to believe you are never going to be worthy enough to be loved by God, or forgiven by God. As a result, if or when he succeeds, he keeps you stuck in darkness.
Verses to help you trust in God as you’re facing your fear.
So how do you get out of the darkness when you’re in it? Facing your fears helps in your spiritual journey but no one’s handing you a flashlight. No burning bush appears or speaks to you.
You strengthen your battle muscles by fighting the enemy. For instance, refusing to allow the devil to scare you. So how do you do that? Place your trust in God. Recognize fearful thoughts as not something of God. Speak God’s name out loud. Jesus, I trust in you are the key words of the Divine Mercy chaplet.
When I’m afraid, I place my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3
Do you want a quiver full of verses for your next anxiety attack? Then click here for 16 more verses on trust.
You carry the light of God as His child. That light will always overcome the darkness of fear. Write your story. Someone will surely not like it. Write it anyway. Create your art. Sing your song. Dance your dance. You’ve been given a creative flow, a creative gift some ache to have. We help each other when we use our gifts.
So talk to your Father in heaven and seek His peace. He’s aching to give it to you. Enjoy this easy win-win. He’s relieved to send it; when He does, you get what your heart longs for. And the world gets inspired by your new creation.
Above all, know that I’m praying for you. Please do the same for me.
God’s Patient Pursuit of My Soul, my award-winning memoir, may offer you additional insights and spiritual tools. Click here to read what others say about it.
What are you doing that’s helping you in facing your fears these days?
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