One Sunday, our family set out to hike to a waterfall. The trail took us to a spot where we had to cross the creek, and there was the choice of leaping a few feet over a narrow but deeper part of the river, or wading across a wider but shallower part, where you could step on wobbly rocks that—if you were very sure-footed—would keep you from getting wet at all. My husband took two seconds to assess and leaped the distance. Two of our girls and myself opted for the wider crossing, took off our shoes and hopped the rocks. We got across in varying degrees of dryness, but with no major mishaps.
But our youngest daughter stood on the edge of the river. She didn’t want to get her feet wet, but she also didn’t want to leap across. All of us on the other side tried to coax her into choosing an option, but she wasn’t having it. Eventually, my husband gently convinced her to hold his arm and jump across, and she made it without incident. We had a great morning hiking together as another little family memory was made. I was so proud of our girl for pushing past her comfort level! I know it wasn’t a huge decision, but it was one step on the path of not letting her fear hold her back from enjoying life.
In our society where anxiety has been given so much space, it sometimes seems like the defining word of our time. It’s interesting because the Bible tells us simply and repeatedly to “fear not.” A two-word solution to fear and anxiety. But how does this work?
I find it helpful to break my challenge into parts and then take the first step. For example, I recently had to prepare for an interview at work. I was nervous about it, and fear of failing was front and center in my mind, so I broke it down. I compiled the questions I thought I’d be asked and prepared answers to them, then I asked coworkers for feedback on my answers, and I applied the feedback. Each of these steps was uncomfortable, but I was able to accomplish them one at a time. And each time, I was rewarded with one step further in the direction I wanted to go.
Whether you’re looking to change a mindset or habit or reach a goal, the approach is the same: take the one step that you can. And trust God for the next one. When you are afraid, trust in God, who says, “Fear not, let’s do this together.”