Dear fear, I'm done with you. I'm tired of the barriers, I'm tired of the guilt. I'm tired of suppressing my pounding heart and wiping off my sweaty palms, ignoring the push forward. I'm tired of being tired of life. I'm tired of going to school hating to talk to people, hating to try; thinking I can only do my best and my best isn't good enough. I'm tired of being complacent, not wanting to plan or practice but just trying to ad-lib. If it fails I can just say I didn't try. But not trying doesn't work if you're trying to live a Christ-fulfilled life. It doesn't do your potential justice. And there's no going forward this way. The Cons of Not Trying1. Not trying takes away your future. If you're not taking advantage of the opportunities you have now, it's nearly impossible to do hard things for Jesus in the future. My teacher told a story of how he learned this in his senior year of high school. He told us this in class a couple days ago, and it really made me think. 2. Not trying takes away your motivation to do good at anything. Whether at school, church, or at home, there's always a chance to develop life skills. Life skills in the little things will help you in the future big things. Sometimes I'm in school and I'm just daydreaming along, waiting for the next class. I'll do better in the next class, I say. But then I get there and I still don't feel like working hard. I didn't try earlier, so what's the point of doing it now? All this leads to another and suddenly you find yourself laying on the couch, watching youtube videos, and ignoring the to-do lists because what's the point. I'll never get it all done. I'll fail anyway. It doesn't matter. But it does matter. I have found that whenever I feel like a sluggish lazy bum, I feel instantly better when I get up, throw the load of towels in the washer or go out to wash the car. Or wash the dishes unexpectedly, or practice the flute for band even though I know no one else practiced or expects me to. I don't know if it's a scientific fact or not, but I have found when I take things one step at a time and just start working hard at the little things, suddenly it doesn't seem so bad and my motivation returns. When I don't try, I get depressed. And I have found that when I do my best and it fails anyway, it was still good for me. It was good for me to try hard. "It's better to fail than to never try." The Pros of Trying1. Trying gets you out of your comfort zone. For some reason getting out of my comfort zone feels pretty good after it's done. It's like I'm a little teeny rubber band that can't do anything but every-time I get stretched out, I get bigger. If you want to get out of your comfort zone, one of the best things to do is go on a mission trip. It will definitely stretch you. There is nothing like trying to adlib a testimony while it is getting translated into a different language. Also, asking people for money or doing car-washes to raise money is pretty humbling. (People are just scary, in my opinion.) And the best thing is, when you come back you will already have had a head start on getting out of your comfort zone! 2. Trying helps your dreams become fulfilled. You can practice NOW. You don't have to wait until later to feel like you succeeded, to feel grownup, to feel like a real person. Sometimes I think I'm just a little kid and working hard on my schoolwork doesn't matter, like I'm not real. But whether it's working on your homework, doing your best at your volunteer job, or actually trying to practice your flute, whatever it is matters. I had a teacher once who, on the first day of school, asked us what we most wanted to change in our life. We wrote it down. Then he asked us, "What are you doing about it today?" What are you doing now? Going to medical school or publishing a book might not be possible right at this moment, but you can take little steps to work hard, practice at what you're good at, and learn how to be consistent. Don't wait until the future to work hard. Wait until now. 3. Trying your best for Jesus is commanded in the Bible. Remember your motivation - you're not doing it for you, you're doing it with God for God. You're not alone. Colossians 3:23-24 4. Trying helps you use your talents. Don't waste them. 14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. I'll be honest here, it's always been pretty easy for me to do well in school. At least compared to other people. I wouldn't study because I would get a decent grade anyway - memorizing has always been pretty easy for me. I wouldn't practice my piano because I practiced enough at my lesson to play just a little better at the next one. Notice I said a little better. I realized when I read the book Do Hard Things that sometimes what was really good for other people wasn't good enough for me. I suppose some people can try their absolute hardest and only manage a B, while I don't even try at all and I automatically get an A-. I could do better, but it's not really needed right? Or I'm playing good enough in band to blend in with other people and make the song sound decent, but I haven't even practiced all the notes or the fingerings. I'm just floating along. One day in band class, people were complaining about how the song was so hard. I suddenly came up with the best idea ever (totally not original)...."What if we just practiced?" Whoa. What if we just used our talents? What if we did our best to go above and beyond? What if we actually tried? Application (is this a sermon?)We need to not let fear get ahold of us anymore. Maybe do one thing you're scared of per day or per week. Next time testimonies are asked for in church, grab the mic. Maybe volunteer to lead the singing at your church VBS even though you hate being up front. Next time you see a need but don't have the money to help, take a step forward and raise awareness or have a fundraiser. If you've always been scared of zip-lining or rock-climbing, perhaps now is the time to do it. (I recently have tried this, and I failed, but I felt proud of myself.) Maybe your next step could be as simple as just asking someone how they are. ("Hi!" "Hi...how are you??") That used to be absolutely terrifying for me. Today, talking to people or looking at them in the face is STILL scary for me. But I know it's the time to do so. It's probably overdue time. All of these are just examples from what I have experienced. They might not be what scare you. But you know your fears. You know what you need to do next. So go out and maybe not change the world today, but change your mindset on life. If you don't listen to your fears, what possibilities are out there?! So sorry fear, it's been great but.. I'm taking off the handcuffs. I'm taking off the chains. I'm taking your little doubts and worries off of my brain. (that rhymed!) Goodbye fear. We're over. PS. I don't mean fear of God is over. Fear of God is good. It's fear of doing whatever it is FOR God that's the problem. PPS. I thought the title of this blog post was so original.... until I looked it up. This has apparently been used many times before. Well that was disappointing. I apologize for the inconvenience.. PPS. Thanks for reading everyone. Tune in next time!
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about the authorAs a 21 year old aspiring teacher, Karissa loves to write, travel, play piano, and read. Many creative things have her heart. archives
November 2021
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