Living in Fear

Okay, I'm coming to grips with the fact that I suffer from this terrible Imposter Syndrome. Thanks for all the feedback through comments and email. In some weird way, I'm learning how addicted to fear I've become. So, it couldn't be better timing for me to be speaking at a retreat next weekend on the topic: Fearless Faith.

Here are some preliminary ideas I've got. The cost of living a fear-filled life is extremely high. From personal experience I can tell you that living in fear eats away at your self-esteem and makes you feel hollow. Living in fear causes stagnation instead of growth -- and you live with the pain of unrealized potential. Living in fear costs you joy. Living in fear leads to regret as the "what ifs" slowly turn to "what might have beens". Finally, living in fear is contagious.

I refuse to pass on this weird fear to my kids, so I'm going to do everything I can to internalize Eugene Peterson's translation of Philippians 4:13: "Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." In other words, I can handle anything because I don't have to handle it by myself. The One who is with me has unlimited resources and capabilities at his disposal.

That's going to be the first step I take in getting a handle on this fear. All you other imposters out there -- tell me -- do you think it'll work?