Have you ever stood in the shadow of a mountain and felt so small? Are there days you feel like David holding a handful of pebbles as Goliath towers in the distance, echoing impossibility and certain defeat?
These are the days where we consider whether or not to stop, surrender, give in or take the next step into what feels like wilderness. Somehow overwhelmed. Slightly terrified.
Worry and doubt can lay claim to our minds and hold us hostage in the prison of “what-ifs.” Fear assails us. It seems there is no escape.
In the moments when there is a mountain standing in your way, there are ten things to do:
- Be compassionate with yourself – It’s okay to be afraid. You are human. Be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself. There is no shame in the journey, only healing, learning, and growing. If you fall down, pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward.
- Remember who God is – God is bigger than your mountain. He called you to this journey. He is with you. His presence resides in this moment. Don’t miss it. Don’t miss Him. Focus your mind on Him. He didn’t bring you this far to abandon you.
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- Remind yourself who you are – You are a child of God. You are His beloved. This journey is God’s love story with you. You are His chosen one. You do not have to earn your worth, you were made to own your worth.
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- Savor the meaning in this moment – This moment is as important as any other. Don’t waste this moment running from it. Even in the fear, remember the story is not finished. This moment is an important step on your journey. Lean into it. Success is defined by these moments. Remember them.
- Speak the truth in the face of lies – The voice that speaks of your shame, your failure, is not the voice of truth. The truth is that no matter if you succeed or fail, you are moving forward, one step at a time on your journey. If you succeed, you are not greater. If you fail, you are not lesser. Each experience is one more opportunity to learn and to grow.
- Hold fast to your values – In the face of the insurmountable, do not abandon what you believe. Stand. Trust. Know that God is working for your good in all things. If God has called you to this moment, don’t listen to the nay-sayers. Be your own anchor. Cling to what you know to be the truth. Let truth be your guide. Not your emotions. Not your fear.
- Reclaim your passions and purpose – Uncertain times can shake us from our moorings. Take a moment and reclaim what God has called you to, your passion, your purpose. Celebrate His gifts to you.
- Embrace the journey – See the bigger picture. Fall in love with the landscape. Don’t rush through. Don’t be in such a hurry to get to another moment or season. It’s all of the tiny steps combined that make up one huge step. Success usually comes while being faithful in all of the tiny things along the way.
“Growth is a slow & sacred process...Every minute of faithfulness is a seed that God will faithfully grow into profound change.” @AnnVoskamp
- Take the next step – Take a deep breath and move. Step out into the unknown. Give it your best. Risk. The next step is more about the act of taking the step than it is about what awaits you there.
- Live with gratitude - Give thanks for all that has been, all that is, and all that will be. Surrender your will to God. Submit all of your dreams to Him. Say a prayer of gratitude for His redeeming work in your life.
Don’t let an obstacle overwhelm or paralyze you today.
No matter what the obstacle, you can overcome it! You can walk the road where you have been called, you can take the next step, you can remember how big your God is, and you will see that mountain shrink before your very eyes.
What is the mountain is that you face today? What are the things you fear the most? Share with me how you have overcome and seen God work in your life.