As I was driving my daughter to school, we were listening to the radio and a song called “Fear is a Liar” by Zach Williams, came on and caught my attention. Here are some of the lyrics:
When he told you you’re not good enough
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough
Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar
Such powerful words! The music video is just as powerful. Fear is more common than we would like to admit. Fear is rooted deep and it starts early. From the first time we fell and scrapped our knee and realized how painful that was so we built fear around falling, to the first time someone broke our heart and we developed the fear of trusting others.
Fear is what leads us to build barriers and fences around ourselves. It slowly grows inside of us, the more we give in to the lies fear feeds us, the deeper the roots sink in, settle in, and eventually become the new norm. The deeper the roots, the harder to resist that voice, which is no longer a little voice, but now it has grown to be part of our consciousness, the new sound of reason. We start making excuses and we begin to justify those excuses as a positive thing instead of realizing where they come from and their negative impact. Fear uses these excuses to encourage us to settle in, accept things the way they are instead of seeking change and growth.
Start recognizing that voice. Listen to it. Acknowledge it’s tone, it’s patterns and excuses. Pay attention to where you are, where you would like to be and what’s stopping you from getting there. Whether it’s moving up within your current company, or changing careers, making a commitment, or starting a family. Identify what that voice is telling you and learn to overcome it by taking the necessary steps to move forward. It’s better to go for something and fail than never to try anything because of fear. Don’t regret not trying by believing the lies fear feeds you.
