Fear of the dark is a fairly common phobia kids deal with. Growing up my closet was right next to my bed. At night the closet door was always open and dark. I remember trying to go to sleep wondering what creepiness lie within the darkness among my clothes and toys. The anxiety would be heightened when I decided to turn my back towards the closet. I lived a life of danger! I'm not sure why I didn't just shut the door. That fear I had tried to steal my precious sleep but I overcame! Thankfully I got over that fear last year.
Fear often leads to sleepless nights whether or not you are afraid of your closet. Worrying about things out of your control can cause serious mental and health issues. Fear, worry and depression are closely linked. No one thinks, “I should really get some more fear in my life.” General consensus is that being fearful is not beneficial, but we all continue to deal with it. The enemy knows that this tactic works. He has been using it for millennia and will continue to do so until his time is up.
Many young children who have a gift for dreams and visions will often experience night terrors or nightmares as the enemy will try to discourage them from dreaming at all. He wants to scare you away from the very thing that God wants to use to bring great blessing into your life and the lives of others. He would like to use fear to attack your dreams, too. You do not have to let him, though.
According to a study by the
National Institute of Mental Health fear is mostly unfounded.
- 60% of things feared will never take place
- 30% of things feared happened in the past and can't be changed
- 90% of things feared are considered to be insignificant issues
- 88% of things feared in relation to health will not happen
The most damaging aspect of fear is not the expectation of a bad thing happening. The worst part of fear is its ability to keep us from the good things God has for us. The more time we spend in fear the more we are out of faith and not moving in a positive direction. Faith and fear are fighting to occupy the same space in the future.
Stepping in to the unknown is facing your fears. It is possible that there will be failure and discomfort but also there is the opportunity to grow and succeed. God is for you! Who can be against you! Doing nothing will result in nothing happening every single time. Statistics prove that listening to the lies of fear is a waste of your time. You might as well do something constructive with the time you previously used for being afraid of stuff.
Although, I do think its okay if your epic dream scares you a little bit. Just enough for you to realize it cannot be done on your own. A wake up scare to let you know this dream dropped in you from heaven and you will need the Holy Spirit to make it happen. But after that momentary scare it is all about faith from here on out. You taking action. God filling in the blanks. Trust me there will be a lot of blanks to fill in but that is what makes this dream journey exciting.
The fear that is holding back your dream is no different than my childhood closet. It was a tiny room that was only meant for storage. Nothing insidious in there. Fear keeps you enclosed in a small space that has little potential. It can keep you focused on things from your past that you have no use for now. Turn your focus to peace and rest where your dreams come alive and the future is full of hope and promise. I dare you to turn your back on your closet. It’s just a pile of Tonka trucks anyway.
About the author
Mark is a marketer and sometimes writer. He's trying to get better at that sometimes thing.