"Fear, he is a liar."
I heard this line in a song on the radio recently. I immediately believed it. Fear has been lying to me all my life. I'm ashamed to say that I have, far too many times, let fear rule my beliefs and actions. Maybe you have, too.
So, how is fear a liar? Fear lies to us about ourselves: You aren't attractive enough to get that date. You aren't smart enough to get into that school. You aren't talented enough to get that job. You shouldn't speak up about your opinion because your ideas aren't very good. You shouldn't audition for the play because you aren't very good. You shouldn't try something new because you probably won't succeed. You don't have whatever it takes.
Fear lies to us about how others perceive us: He probably won't like me, so I won't bother to get to know him. She will look down on me because I am not as attractive as she is. They will think I'm stupid if I try to join their conversation. I'm from the poor part of town, so they will think I'm beneath them.
Fear lies to us about how we perceive others: Her skin is a different color than mine, so she is inferior to me. He speaks a different language than I do, so he is not as intelligent as I am. They are from a different country than I am, so they are lazy. Their religion is not the same as mine, so we have nothing in common.
Fear lies to us about our future: I'll never be able to overcome _________ . I'm never going to be successful at ___________ . I'll be struggling with __________ my entire life. My family has always had trouble with _________, so I know I will too.
We live in an age where we tend to question everything: institutions, governments, religions, whatever. It is all open to skepticism, distrust, investigation. Why, then, don't we question our own fears?
What if, when fear tells us we aren't good enough or smart enough or talented enough or attractive enough, we stopped and questioned that thought? "Who says so? What if I am good enough or smart enough or talented enough or attractive enough?" "What's the worst that could happen if I try for that new job, or that role in the play, or asked that person out, or tried something new? I might just succeed!"
What if, when fear tells us that others might not like us or look down on us or think we are not enough, we paused and analyzed that fear? "How do you know? I might be someone they will really like. Or maybe they aren't exactly like I'm assuming they are. Maybe I'm exactly the kind of person they enjoy spending time with. I won't know until I try."
What if, when fear lies to us about the differences between ourselves and others, we took a moment to focus on our commonalities: "Wait a minute, fear. We may look different on the outside, but that doesn't mean we are all that different inside. We don't speak the same language, but we both have thoughts and feelings to express. We may not be from the same country, but I bet I could learn a lot from him. Our faith may not be the same, but that doesn't mean we have nothing in common."
What if, when fear lies to us about our future, we looked fear in the eye and said, "Hold on there, fear! My family's past doesn't have to be my future. In fact, my own past doesn't have to be my future. I have a plan. I have the desire. I have the intelligence and the talent and the drive to accomplish my goals. I will not let myself be ruled by fear. My future is mine for the making."
Fear, he is a liar. It's time we talked back.
FEAR IS A LIAR
When he told you you're not good enough
When he told you you're not right
When he told you you're not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you're not worthy
When he told you you're not loved
When he told you you're not beautiful
That you'll never be enough
When he told you you're not right
When he told you you're not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you're not worthy
When he told you you're not loved
When he told you you're not beautiful
That you'll never be enough
Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
When he told you you were troubled
You'll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You'll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change
You'll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You'll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
No comments:
Post a Comment