I want you to move from being a worrier to a warrior! Tony Campolo once said, “I don’t want to tip-toe through life only to arrive safely at death.” And I don’t think God wants this for any of His beloved children, either

I once heard the story of a boy named Eli. When he was a kid, young Eli was afraid of sharp or pokey objects — he was terrified of scissors, needles, splinters, bee stings, or anything like that. Wanting to help him, his parents protected him from sharp things; they stopped going to movies because of the scary parts, they let his hair get shaggy because he was afraid of scissors, and they stopped looking at flowers because flowers have bees. Ultimately, it got the point where Eli was afraid to leave the house or to do nearly anything. The problem culminated while the family was visiting a historic fort when Eli was 10. It was 90 degrees outside and the young boy was sweating and desperately needing to sit down. However, he couldn’t sit on the bench or on the floor or even lean against the wall because they were all made of wood and he was afraid of splinters. At that point, his parents realized that it had gone too far and that they needed to help him. They consulted a counselor who taught them a method of cognitive behavioral therapy to re-train their son’s mind. Since he was really into Legos and he needed money to get new sets, his mom would encourage him to go outside, with the promise that if he should get stung by a bee, she would give him $10. His dad did the same thing but offered him $20. I’m pretty sure that’s all it took; Eli was probably willing to get stung by a bee on purpose to get $30 worth of Legos…they’re like gold to a boy that age! Fascinatingly, he eventually overcame all his fears and even went on to become a fencer in high school!

Friend, here’s my point: God has placed the promise of eternal destiny in your heart and He has given you a big vision, one that will fill you with a kind of courage that is willing to get stung by a bee on purpose! With the Holy Spirit’s help, you can press into fear with a resolve that says it’s worth getting hurt and even suffering for something greater than yourself. You are courageous and the Lord is shaping your mind and heart with impressions of His greatness! Isn’t that wonderful news?