Oftentimes, as soon as we make the decision to step out in faith and obey God, the enemy comes at us with a load of fear trying to intimidate us, and ultimately, stop us. It starts with thoughts like, What if you fail? What will other people think? You don’t have what it takes. If those seeds of doubt take root, they’ll produce a harvest of weeds that will choke out your blessing. That’s because fear is the enemy of confidence, designed to convince you to shrink back and settle for living an ineffective life.

The Bible says that fear is actually a spirit. It plays on our minds and emotions. It’s been said that fear is an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear is a lie, and the good news is that you have what it takes to combat it—the truth of God’s Word. First John 4:18 says that “perfect love casts out all fear.” When you receive God’s perfect love, it empowers you and deposits seeds of confidence in the soil of your heart. The only way to tap into those seeds and break the power of fear is to move forward. Confidence isn’t built by playing it safe. It’s not built when you simply stand still. It’s built when you press past the fear that is trying to stop you.

Years ago, there was a television program called Fear Factor. Joel and I and our kids would pile up on the sofa after dinner to see the contestants attempt outrageous and daring stunts. We’d sit and watch in anticipation, wondering what they would have to do next. Each stunt would test their ability to confront and overcome fear. If a contestant allowed fear to stop them, or even slow them down, they would be off the show and the camera would follow them down the dreaded “walk of shame.” After each stunt, one person would be eliminated until only the winner remained—the one who received the prize money.

Most of the time, the contestant who won was not only able to overcame fear, but they usually approached each task differently than the other contestants—with confidence. Confidence empowered the winner to perform the tasks faster, better, more skillfully, or with whatever proficiency was required. Many times we could tell who was going to win within the first few minutes just because we could see “the confidence factor” in the contestant’s eyes.

That was only a television show, but how often does life play out this way? We have our goal in mind, and we set out to complete our mission only to run straight into a wall of fear. Throughout life, we all have opportunities to either shrink back and settle where it’s familiar, or we can take a step of faith and embrace the new things God has in store. Remember, you were never created to be stagnant. You were never created to take that “walk of shame;” you were created to win. Recognize that you have power over fear and be determined to move forward past it. Let God’s seeds of love produce a harvest of confidence inside of you!