Do The Hard Thing

Just a heads-up before you continue reading. :) I wrote this post really last minute, so it’s kind of all over the place. I’m realizing I need to work on a better schedule to make sure these are published earlier in the day and more thought out/put together together for y’all. Thank you so much for reading! It means so much! ♥️

Do the hard thing. Do the scary thing. Tormentation, in the form of avoidance and anxiety, is so much harder to endure than the time it actually takes to do the thing you’re hiding from.

If you have to fix your hair and put on an outfit you feel confident in, then do that. I had to do that before I sat down to write this post. If you have to stare yourself down in the mirror and tell yourself, “You HAVE to do this. No excuses,” then do it. If you have to count backwards from three to give yourself a deadline, then do it. This doesn’t show weakness, it shows that systems and tools can helpful. Sometimes, I wait to do something until I don’t have any fear, but that time hardly ever comes.

The Enemy wants us in our heads. He wants us distracted, too distracted for kingdom work. Bravery causes a chain reaction. It’s often a hidden battle. Most people won’t see the turmoil inside of us as we fight to push ourselves past our fears. But when they see us standing in the power of our Almighty God, facing the mountain of fear before us, they will be inspired and realize that it’s not about our own power or strength, but about our Heavenly Father’s.

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." - Zechariah 4:6b

Even if other people don’t see us, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that we didn’t back down. We will have the peace of mind that comes when we follow God nudging our hearts. Because, ultimately, it’s not about getting other people’s attention, but obeying and serving God.

It doesn’t mean we won’t feel any fear deep in the pit of our stomachs. We might, and more times than not, we probably will have some amount of fear. Hard things are called hard things because they take work and effort to achieve them. But victory tastes so much sweeter than staying in that fear paralysis.

The sometimes annoying, but encouraging, truth is that we can deal with so much more than we think we can. We’re often raised to be afraid of things, like public speaking, making mistakes, people that are different than us; and I don’t mean that in a mean way. It’s just how the human mind works, (because some fear in certain areas is a good thing). So, over many years we’ve trained our brains to be on high alert for anything that may cause pain, embarrassment, or uncomfortability. But the Bible says (in Romans 5:3-5) that the trials we experience grow our character by cutting out what isn’t glorifying to God and building into us what is a refection of who Jesus is.

Public speaking can prepare us to share the gospel whenever we have the opportunity (1 Peter 3:15). Making mistakes teaches us that we’re all human, aren’t perfect, but are growing. Which is often a painful process but creates beautiful results. Being around people who aren’t identical to us (inside and out) shows us that we’re all created uniquely and beautifully (Psalm 139:14) And it shows us that we each have a very important part in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 12)

What’s your next step this week?

For me, I want to see opportunities that might make me afraid, as a chance to grow and learn to trust that the God we serve is a big God who can do far beyond what I could ever imagine. And also focus on 2 Corinthians 12:9, which says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'."

✌🏼& ♥️

Hannah