Saturday's List: Five Ways I Punched Fear in the Face

If you read or following anything by Jon Acuff, you might know that aside from his famous "Jesus Juke" catch phrase, he also likes to say "punch fear in the face." Here are five ways I punched fear in the face this week:

1. Fear: That I can't hear Jesus' voice and I have no idea what I'm doing in life. Fact: Pastor Craig preached a fantastic sermon on the fact that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The more time I spend with Him, the better I know His voice. I don't have to know where I'm going, I just have to trust the One leading the way. And thanks to my 2+ hours in the car and my own personal quiet times, I can rest assured that I DO KNOW HIS VOICE! (That last part of me yelling was more for the Devil. Pbbbbt. That Devil I hate.)
2. Fear: God's promises for my life will never be fulfilled. Fact: God's delays are not denials. I was teaching the story of Exodus to my class and the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to this truth: before the Israelites left, things got worse. Moses went before The Lord in anguish, and The Lord reminded him that He would keep His promises. Thousands of years later, we can know that those promises were fulfilled. God is a promise keeper.
3. Fear: I'll always have to live my life with anxiety. Fact: God has shown me that I can be Amy the Faithful. He has confirmed this over and over this week. I refuse to live my life in fear, and instead walk in faith.
4. Fear: Doing what God calls me to do, even if it doesn't make sense will isolate people from me. Fact: Stepping out and trusting God and being open about it has made me more transparent to others and in turn, has allowed for a greater sense of community.
5. Fear: I'm not creative enough to make lessons to sell on Teacher Pay Teachers or to enter any writing contests. Fact: I am creative enough, because God has gifted me in that manner. I've decided that by August 1, I will have a START date of opening my own Teacher Pay Teacher store. I'm also entering Writer's Digest's Inspirational Writing contest in a few categories. Deadline for this one is May 18.

There you have it, five ways I punched fear in the face this week. How about you? How are you going to stop fear from controlling you?