For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:7, KJV

I was reading the paper the other day and ran across an article written by career consultant Andrea Kay titled, “You don’t have all the time in the world to work on your dreams.” Mrs. Kay recounted a recent plane trip with her husband where, a few moments after take off, she heard a horrible sputtering sound coming from one of the plane’s engines. A bird had flown into one of the engines, making it necessary to return to the airport for an emergency landing.

Everything turned out fine and no one was hurt, but Mrs. Kay wrote the following about the experience:

I looked out the window and saw the ocean. What if we don’t make it? Is this it? Is this how it will end? What about my new book? Who will care for my dog and cats? Will someone find our will? What will happen to my art? Will my mother be OK? Maybe I should have stayed home where it was safe…

People of all ages and professions write me daily and tell me they want to change their life and career. Most act as if they have all the time in the world. They don’t. Times like those 12 minutes [on the plane] remind me to remind you of that.

Instead, most people have excuses for not doing what they want: I don’t have the money. I’ll have to start at the bottom. I’m too old. I may not like it. I might fail. I’ll have to go back to school. My parents won’t understand. Are these concerns normal? Yes. Would it feel safer to stay with what you know? Sure. But is that enough for you and your time on this planet?

For most people, the answer to Mrs. Kay’s last question is, sadly, “Yes.” Though with their thoughts and their words they value their dreams more highly than their safety, their actions speak louder than both their thoughts and their words. By fearing to venture in the direction of their dreams, they get stuck in a rut of survival rather than purpose, and a rut, as they say, is nothing more than a grave with the ends kicked out.

For the Christian, God either has or soon will present you with a dream He wants you to pursue for His glory and for your betterment. The natural reaction to God’s dream is fear. It is natural to fear to move in a direction that is both unfamiliar and not of our choosing. As a result we can (and usually do) come up with all kinds of excuses to avoid pursuing God’s dream for us. If we are not careful, we will wake up one day to find that our excuses have cost us the life of victorious living that God had in store for us.

Fear paralyzes, and through that paralysis fear steals life. Remember, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7, Amplified Bible). So, revisit the dream God has given you. Consider what life would be like if you lived according to His dream. Embrace His dream. Bask in it. Take hold of His spirit of power and fear no more.