Fear and Living Outside the Comfort Zone

For the last year and a half, I have challenged myself to step outside of my comfort zone. It's not that I am a shy person, or scared to try new things, but somewhere over the last 10 years, I had lived my life between some very narrow lines. I had become afraid to step too far from my comfort zone of church, work, and family responsibility.

And this is not healthy fear,-----but rather it's the paralyzing fear that the enemy uses to keep us from being fully alive.

It's the fear that whispers, "Oooh---you're going to go back to your old habits," or "you've become too boring, they won't like you, " or "why would you want to do that?"

It's not like I was exactly in a comfort zone coma----I was living a full and productive, serving life----and I can see where the Lord used me in spite of my anxiety---but I wasn't fully alive!

So I am battling my fears. Fears of letting people know the real me. Fears of stepping out into the unknown. Fears of admitting I don't know everything. Fears of failing. Fears of saying what I really think. For the last year and a half---I have been using every weapon the Lord has provided me to fight my fears---and I've experienced victory!

The scriptures say a lot about fears and God repeatedly says "Do not be afraid":

Genesis 15:1 NIV

• [God's Covenant With Abram] After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."
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• Genesis 21:17 NIV

  God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.
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• Genesis 26:24 NIV

  That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."
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• Genesis 46:3 NIV

  "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
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• Exodus 14:13 NIV

  Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
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Isaiah 44:8 NIV

• Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
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• Isaiah 54:4 NIV

  "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
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• Jeremiah 1:8 NIV

  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord.
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Of course,---I love the story of Mary when the angel comes to her and says, "Do not be afraid".

So--- facing my fears, and stepping outside my comfort zone. This is my new fully alive-stepping out in faith---living life to the max self.

Amen-------Lisa