As we set our minds on the coming of a new year, I want to talk to you about inheriting the promises of God by overcoming fear through action.

When I was a kid of maybe eight or nine years old, there was a hill near our house that we called suicide hill. It was a humongous incline and it was pretty much straight down. There was a group of four of us guys who would ride our bikes, and I’m embarrassed to say it now, but I was the one who was afraid to go down that hill. Every time we would get close, they would start and I would tell them that I was going to go around the long way and see them at the bottom. Ultimately, it got the point where I was thinking about that hill all the time and constantly feeling ashamed of my fear. One day, I finally got sick of it! Determined, I went out on my own and stood on the top of the ridge. As I beheld the steep incline, I decided I would run down the hill on foot first, so I did. When I finished that, I felt more confident so I decided to ride my bike down very slowly, and before I knew it, I was at the bottom. When I got there, I was on cloud nine and it wasn’t too much later that my friends and I were riding down all the time. Interestingly, a few weeks ago, I was back in that old neighborhood going for a walk. I made a turn and lo and behold, there was suicide hill! In shock, I marveled at how short it actually was…it seemed like it was only 12 feet high, but the difference was my perspective. As a grown man, it looked like nothing, but as a child, it was incredibly daunting. Isn’t life like that?

Friend, whatever you are afraid of is not really as big as it seems. Whether it’s something in your professional life, your personal life, or in a relationship, taking a step of action really can break the back of fear! You don’t need to conquer everything in one day, but just do one simple thing that makes you nervous and watch as your courage snowballs. Just like Moses leading God’s people out of Egypt, Joshua walking around the walls of Jericho, and Mary giving birth to Jesus, saying “yes” to the Lord is all you need to do to see him work miracles in your life. Don’t let fear keep you from being a vessel of God’s power; instead, trust Him, take the first step toward your obstacle, and face it afraid. When you do, He will help you and your hill won’t seem nearly as steep as you once thought it was! Isn’t that great news?