“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

— Psalm 56:3

Have you ever wanted to do something for God but felt so paralyzed by fear that you refused to step out in faith? Have you ever felt God calling you to something that scared the water out of you (figuratively or literally)?  

Serving the Lord is exciting, but it can also be frightening. It’s scary to walk up to a stranger and hand them a gospel tract. It’s intimidating to strike up a conversation with a family member about their need for salvation. It’s terrifying to stand in front of a crowd and share your heart. Sometimes, God calls us to do scary things.

Elisabeth Elliot can attest to the truth of that statement. After her husband and four other men were killed in Ecuador by the very people they were trying to reach, Elisabeth found herself crippled by fear. She knew God still had a plan for her, but she was too afraid to do it. After all, look at what it had already cost her. God called, but fear argued.

One day, Elisabeth confided in a friend about her battle with anxiety, and the wise friend posed this question: “Why not do it afraid?” So, Elisabeth did. Despite her trepidation, she went back to the people who had mercilessly slaughtered her husband and won them to the Lord. She didn’t stop being afraid, but she decided to step out in faith anyway.

Imagine what would have happened had Elisabeth allowed her fear to win out. How many souls would have gone to hell because she was too afraid to follow God’s plan?

Now, imagine what will happen if you allow your fear to have control. What will you miss out on? What will happen to those whose lives you could impact if you would only step out and do what God’s asked you to do?  

I’m not saying you can’t be afraid. I am. I am in a new country where everything seems odd. I don’t know the people, the language (yes, it’s English, but it’s different), the customs, etc. While I’m thrilled and excited to be here, I find myself asking, “Okay, now what? Where do we begin? How will this go over with the people? What if they don’t like us? What if they won’t listen to us? What if I forget to drive on the left side of the road?”  

So many questions. So many fears. I could crawl in bed, pull my covers over my head, and stay there. And some days, that’s exactly what I want to do. But when fear lists the many reasons why I’m better off to stay home, the Lord brings to mind the wise words of Elisabeth Elliot’s friend: “Why not just do it afraid?”

That’s what I’m doing. Most days, my knees are shaking, and my lips are quivering (only partly because of the cold), but I’m doing the work. Why? Because the One who called me is worth it, and I know He’ll honor my faithfulness. He’ll be my strength when I’m weak. He’ll give me courage when I’m scared out of my mind.  

Please don’t wait until the fear passes before you do something for the Lord. After all, there’s no guarantee the fear will go away. It may linger for quite some time. So, don’t try to wait it out. Just do it afraid. Elisabeth did it. I’m doing it. And you, my friend, can do it too.

“Sometimes when we are called to obey, the fear does not subside, and we are expected to move against the fear. One must choose to do it afraid.”

— Elisabeth Elliot