Where Will Your Dreams Lead in 2015? Happy New Year! Can you believe 2014 is already drawing to a close? You can end it strong by approaching the new year with purpose and intentionality. The New Year is a great time to set (or reset) goals, yet every year I watch people’s focus waver only a few days or weeks into their quest. I’m convinced the issue keeping most people from experiencing lasting breakthrough is not a lack of motivation, but their inability to conquer fear. The Hebrew Scriptures describe two types of fear: 1. Pachad: A great fear or dread. It’s the irrational fear that develops when we imagine worst-case scenarios.Pachad—a “fight or flight” response—is hard-wired into who we are. Unfortunately, this adrenaline-pumping emotion fuels other fears, rather than equipping us to navigate emotionally challenging situations. 2. Yirah: The reverence we feel in the presence of the Divine. This is a healthy fear to be welcomed and savored. Rabbi Alan Lew describes yirah as “the fear that overcomes us when we suddenly find ourselves in possession of considerably more energy than we are used to, inhabiting a larger space than we are used to inhabiting. It is also the feeling we feel when we are on sacred ground.” I’m convinced we all could use a little less pachad and a lot more yirah in the coming year! While it’s impossible to eliminate fear from your life, you can learn to control it! If you’re ready to boldly pursue your dreams, here are three ways to manage fear in 2015: 1) Learn to spot pachad and the effect it has on you. Look for triggers that ignite your fears, such as critical feedback from your boss, bad news, or an unexpected change in circumstances. Analyze your fear: Take the worst-case scenario and ask yourself, “What are the odds of this actually happening?” 2) Root yourself in God’s love and truth. Scripture reminds us that God’s perfect love casts out all fear (see I John 4:18) and that, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7) Use these truths to take the edge of irrational fear. 3) Lean into and savor yirah moments, knowing you’re standing on holy ground. Remind yourself that pursuing challenging, new goals will inevitably take you outside your comfort zone. Delight in the scary, yet wonderful feelings this growth brings. Praying you will experience yirah in God’s divine presence!
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:24:52 +0000
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