Basketball season is coming up quickly and as a fan and former player of the sport, it excited me when my 6-year-old showed interest.
At our previous house, we had a basketball but no hoop, so Aubriana didn’t really know what it was like to actually shoot a basket. When we moved to our new home, my husband and I were so excited to see that there was already a basketball goal in the driveway.
Back in the day, my dad had big hopes for me to play for the Tennessee Volunteers one day, (go Vols!) and as much as I enjoyed basketball, a professional career in the sport wasn’t my gift. I was a decent player but didn’t have enough heart for it to make it my life.
There have been many times where I have let fear get in the way of pursuing something I really wanted to do. I played basketball for seven years but had a huge slap in the face by fear when I entered high school.
I remember being extremely afraid the weeks leading up to my first day of high school. Of course, many teenagers go through this but this fear was crippling. It kept me from continuing the pursuit of something I really enjoyed doing. I decided not to try out for the basketball team that year because frankly, I was too scared.
Not playing that year set me back in my skill level and confidence in the sport. I attempted to play three times after that, twice in high school and once in college bible school, but I backed out every time. The first time I didn’t make the team, and the second and third time, I made the team but decided not to play.
While I can see in hindsight how basketball in high school would’ve taken me away from the youth group I was largely involved in, it was fear that kept me from starting. Traveling from city to city with the college bible school team meant I would have to turn down the full-time sales manager job I had been offered.
Looking back, I can’t tell you that I made the wrong decision, but I do know that the root of deciding against joining the basketball team was rooted in fear, which is definitely not from God.
Something we’ve learned about our daughter is that she is a very cautious gal. She’s been this way since she was a toddler. We were never concerned that she would get hurt jumping off of furniture or trying to climb onto the counter because she never even tried those things.
I can see how her personality is bent toward mine in this way. While I deeply long for her to try new things without fear, sometimes we just have to do things scared. It’s a phrase we’ve coined in our house: do it scared.
There are so many wonderful scriptures in the Bible about fear and how we don’t need to worry- really, we don’t.
Here are just a few things that the Word of God has to say about worry and fear:
Worry doesn’t add to our lives. (read Luke 12:25-26)
God didn’t give us a spirit of fear- rather, He gave us a spirit of power, love, and a right mind. (read 2 Timothy 1:7)
When we trust in the Lord, we are safe. (read Proverbs 29:25)
God is perfect love and fear literally has no room to exist in this great love. (read 1 John 4:18)
When we seek the Lord, He will take all of our fear. (read Psalm 34:4)
Basketball has been on my mind lately because Aubriana has an opportunity to play this year. I don’t know if she will or not yet but I do know that she has a gift.
Last night, I told her that sometimes we are afraid to use the gifts that God gives us and that I totally understood her feeling scared. I continued on with saying that it’s not okay to withhold our gifts because we’re afraid.
Friend, the Enemy desperately wants to keep you in fear of using your gifts because it holds you back from helping people. Whether your gift is a good athlete, singer, writer, encourager, financial supporter, teacher, or the many other gifts God has placed inside of people, if you’re afraid to use it, turn to these scriptures and confess them over yourself.
If the fear doesn’t leave you right at that moment, although believe that it can; do it scared.
Comments