{"id":228033,"date":"2023-12-05T12:24:10","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T17:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/?p=228033"},"modified":"2024-08-19T15:16:47","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T19:16:47","slug":"a-shift-in-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/a-shift-in-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"A Shift in Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fear and discouragement inevitably knock on the door to my dreams. When I answer now, I politely welcome them in, acknowledge their presence, and then escort them out before they invade my refrigerator and linger on my couch. I tell them I\u2019m too busy this time, that I have God\u2019s business to attend to, and that they don\u2019t have any business tending to me. I can make up a lot of reasons why I can\u2019t, or shouldn\u2019t, or don\u2019t deserve it; that dreaming is reserved for other people, people who aren\u2019t like me. But here\u2019s something I often remind myself of: I technically don\u2019t have to believe in myself. Instead, I can lean entirely on God\u2019s abilities, which are perfect and never-ending.<\/span><\/p>\n

To prevent crippling fear from creeping in sometimes, I do an exercise called \u201cFear Setting.\u201d It\u2019s been so effective in my life throughout the years that my husband started recommending it to his clients in therapy. Here\u2019s the exercise in case you want to try too:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Write down one goal that you are afraid of (in question form).<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Now, make a list of every fear you can think of as it relates to this goal. These can be realistic, highly irrational, or dramatic. Write down any and every little thing you can think of that could go wrong. This is not a time to be judgmental toward yourself or your fears. The more you write down, the better.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Then make a list of ways that you can prevent these fears from occurring. This is a great place to work on your brainstorming abilities and problem-solving skills.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Finally, if some of your fears do come true, list ways you can repair your life and recover from them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Even with this soothing exercise in reach, there are some days when fear can be so paralyzing that moving forward feels more like navigating the forceful hands of quicksand. On days like those, I refer to the basics: What does God say about fear? I\u2019ll thumb through the concordance and choose one word that I need to focus on that day. Sometimes it\u2019s “fear” itself or “anxiety” or “worry.” Then I\u2019ll look up each recommended scripture, reading them aloud to myself, pacing around the room, desperate for peace. Eventually, I\u2019ll be so consumed with the Holy Spirit that putting in the work becomes an expression of my excitement rather than <\/span>something to dread.<\/span><\/p>\n

    This is what I read today: \u201cI came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit\u2019s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God\u2019s power\u201d (1 Corinthians 2:3\u20135).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t