That Pesky Little “F” Word

We can dictate the power of the ‘F’ word. This little word is stealthy in strategy, indiscriminate and persuasive. It can show up unexpectedly, or we can allow it access by imagining the infinite scenarios which could play out, rivaling  the best of award-winning movie scripts. It is referred to as angst, anxiety, apprehension, doubt, dread, panic, unease, worry, or better known by its four-letter arrangement, F-E-A-R.

The power of a four-letter word

Fear can render us paralyzed, unable to decide or move forward. It evokes countless emotions and generates debilitating lies. It clouds our thinking and arrests our movement. How can a four-letter word create so much havoc in our lives?

It unrightfully assumes its position of power. It quietly steals our dreams, aspirations, opportunities, and relationships; you name it. As fear settles in and makes itself at home in our minds, it handcuffs our potential. It backs us right into the cell, locking the door behind us.

The fuel behind fear

There is no better tactic to stop us from moving forward than fear. Fear is fueled by lies, the ones we are told and the lies we tell ourselves. The list of lies is countless - from I am not good enough; I am alone, it will never change, no one can help, and so on.

Fear does not need to hold power over us.

Digging to find the lie

I have been writing for over ten years; my blog began over seven years ago, and it is only in the last few months that I have finally called myself a writer. I passed college English with a ‘C,’ majored in Economics, stayed at home to raise our children, and volunteered in church for years. How on earth does that make me qualified to be a writer? And, more importantly, I’m not that good anyway.

Doubting our ability blocks our potential. Digging deep within to find our core lie can be a painful process. However, through interior work, we can identify the lie that fear leverages to make us captive.

Prayerful exercise

Below are five steps to help us in this process of identifying a lie. This is an exercise I learned from an Inner Healing ministry. Before starting, find a quiet space and ask the Lord to guide you. Feel free to journal.

1. If you put aside the fear for a moment, what are you afraid might happen?
2. Get in touch with that feeling. Try and name it.
3. Connect the feeling to a time when you experienced the same thing.
4. In this experience, what did you believe about yourself?
5. Ask the Lord to bring you His truth - it could be a scripture, a word, a phrase, a song, or an image. (He can speak to us in many ways, and please don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear anything right away. Keep asking!)

Fight fear with truth

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13, NIV)

Lies and negative self-talk can become self-fulfilling prophecies. My fear that no one would read what I write because it’s not that great is rooted in the lie that I am not good enough to be a writer.

Recently, I asked the Lord to shed light on this lie. I remembered a journal entry I had written years ago when the whisper of ‘you’re not good enough’ was fueling my fears. The truth God gave me was - you are good enough because everything God makes is good! That holds true today.

Lies that settle within can pop up anywhere and impact our ability to move forward. Uncovering and working through the lies we believe are an ongoing process, and seeking God’s truth is essential.

The above exercise is one I use from time to time. It is helpful as I try to recognize and combat the lies the pesky little ‘F” word throws my way.

And yes, I am a writer.

For more information on healing check out Heather Kyhm’s book: Abide: A Pathway to Transformative Healing and Intimacy with Jesus