Most of us want our destinies, but we want them handed to us on a golden platter. God promises us something, and we\u2019re like great, where is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But God is waiting on you to take steps toward those promises and demonstrate your faith to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Reason You Still Let Fear Hold You Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we have a strong fear of what others will think, for example, the enemy has us right where he wants us.  Paralyzed and too afraid to take any type of step forward. And if we\u2019re paralyzed, we cannot reach our God-given destinies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s essentially what shyness and social anxiety are symptoms of: caring way too much about what others will think of us. And what ends up happening is we allow that fear to dictate our lives. We place that fear in the driver\u2019s seat as we wave goodbye to lost opportunities and relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n

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And that\u2019s the harsh truth that I\u2019ve come to realize in my life. I have spent so many years allowing the enemy to use that fear to keep me stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.<\/p>\nProverbs 29: 25<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To overcome this fear, we have to push through it with the help of the Holy Spirit. And the reason we often stay stuck is because we are not willing to do the very challenging work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overcoming any type of fear requires work and courage. You have to resist the devil daily. You have to take captive every thought. You have to cast those anxieties onto the Lord. And you have to take steps toward what God has promised you even when it\u2019s scary, hard, or seems impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.<\/p>\nJames 4:7<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That is why we stay stuck and trapped behind our fears. Because we are too afraid to push down that wall. We want the wall to fall down all on its own. But God is waiting on you to push that wall down and trust in His strength while you do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s so hard sometimes to find that courage, to push away the fear, and to ignore what others might think of you. But if we want to step into God\u2019s plan for our lives, it\u2019s a necessary step of our faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step out on Faith and Do it Afraid Like Gideon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I often think of Gideon and the great call that God placed on him to free the Israelites from the Midianites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Lord turned to him and said, \u201cGo in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the power of Midan. Am I not sending you?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said to Him, \u201cPlease, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest I my father\u2019s house.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I will be with you,\u201d the Lord said to him. \u201cYou will strike Midian down as if it were one man.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nJudges 6:14-16<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

God placed a load of responsibility on Gideon\u2019s shoulders, or at least that\u2019s what Gideon felt. And Gideon\u2019s response was as you’d expect; he was scared and lacked the confidence to do what God had called him to.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Gideon responded with fear because he mistakenly thought God was asking him to do this alone. And Gideon knew he and his family were the weakest of all the tribes. He knew he had no power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And how did God respond? By telling Gideon that \u201c\u2026I will be with you\u201d. Bam!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story continues until God essentially gets Gideon\u2019s army down to just 300 men.  Just 300 men against what I\u2019m presuming were thousands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gideon truly had to step out on faith and do it afraid. And if you continue to read the story, you clearly see that Gideon was afraid. But he ultimately relied on the Lord and took action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a really good article summarizing Gideon’s story and how he learned to rely on God through his journey. Click here<\/a> to read the article from christianity.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking Courageous Action is Necessary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, although God told Gideon He had given the Midianite camp into his hands, it still required Gideon to take action for God to use him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That night the Lord said to him, \u201cGet up and go into the camp, for I have given it into your hand.<\/em><\/p>\nJudges 7:9<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Gideon still had to take action, step out on faith, and do it afraid in order for God to bring to past what He had declared.<\/p>\n\n\n

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So, what does that tell us? We must do the same!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to make the decision to courageously take steps toward the scary things and trust that the Holy Spirit will show up and help us carry the load and get us through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 Practical Ways You Can Do it Afraid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, you might be thinking, this all sounds good and dandy. But, how in the world can I apply this practically, especially as it relates to shyness and social anxiety?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you\u2019re someone who struggles with shyness and social anxiety, welcome to the club honey. I beat you to the door.<\/p>\n\n\n

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But what I\u2019m continuing to learn is that fulfilling my God-given purpose will not happen unless I take courageous action. We cannot expect God to do all the work. He has already delivered us from fear. He is there in the future looking at the new you, free from fear, shyness, and social anxiety. But it\u2019s up to us to step into that deliverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can you do this practically? Here are 6 practical ways you can apply this \u201cStep out on Faith and Do it Afraid\u201d concept:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Say a quiet prayer asking the Holy Spirit for His strength and courage<\/strong>. The next time you\u2019re feeling nervous to do something that scares you, please remember that you have the Holy Spirit within you. You can tap into the strength and courage of God in those moments.<\/li>
2. Take courageous action. <\/strong>Do that scary thing! Even when it\u2019s nerve-wracking. Even if your heart is beating fast in your chest, and you\u2019re starting to sweat, and you feel too paralyzed to speak or act, do it anyway. Push past those fight or flight emotions.<\/li>
3. Remember that baby steps count. <\/strong>Sometimes it feels like we\u2019re not making progress if we\u2019re not making gigantic moves. But that\u2019s simply not true. We have to start somewhere. Anything you master in life starts somewhere.<\/li>
4. Remember that God never promised it would be easy<\/strong>. Or that you wouldn\u2019t be challenged. Something being too hard is not a sign you should quit. But if you trust in Him, you will fight through it and make it to the other side. <\/li>
5. Speak life into your deliverance. <\/strong>Praise and worship God for delivering you from your fears even before you\u2019ve conquered them. Speak God\u2019s promises over your situation.<\/li>
6. Don\u2019t get discouraged when you mess up<\/strong>. God is a loving and compassionate Father who knows your struggle. Count your small wins, and don\u2019t beat yourself up about the failures. Always keep pushing toward the promises God has for you.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n
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   Picture yourself on the other side of your fear, free from shyness and social anxiety, or whatever other fear you struggle with. Imagine the person you want to be, and the things you want to do. Bring that vision before God and pray and ask Him to help you take the steps necessary to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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   You might also like:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   The Key to Overcoming Shyness the Christian Way<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   7 Ways to Share Your Faith if You\u2019re Shy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   What Does it Mean to Fear God?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

   This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Did you know that God is waiting on you to step out on faith and do it afraid? Overcoming fear requires fighting fear. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n