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A couple of weekends ago I found myself in line to do a ropes course at a retreat. It was the kind of ropes course that leaves you forty feet in the air with what feels like only a string to hold you up. There was one problem with the situation I put myself in though…

I HATE HEIGHTS.

I really dislike the feeling I get when I’m up high and my heart feels like it’s pounding so hard that it’s going to explode inside my chest. I can do without the dizziness I feel when I look down to see nothing but rocks. I don’t use the word hate very often, but I absolutely hate the feeling I get as I walk across the course and have to face obstacles with no feeling of stability because the rope that is attached is loose.

After giving my decision some thought I decided the fear was a good enough excuse to leave the line but God’s thoughts are not my thoughts. The minute my feet turn I gently hear him whisper to my heart,

“You are here because you are fearless.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that statement. I wasn’t fearless, I was terrified! The reason I wanted to turn around in the first place is because my whole body was consumed with fear! With no understanding of His meaning I listened and allowed the instructor’s to strap me in. I took a step out and from then on there was absolutely no going back. All I could think of was, “don’t look down.”

After a few minutes of obstacles and what seemed like an unending amount of fear I could see the finish line. The only thing left to accomplish was the hardest part. I was expected to use my upper body strength to slide myself across two wires the formed the shape of an “X”. Beyond that point I could see the finish line. I was almost there! Just a few more minutes of torture and I would be done. Everything in me screamed, “NO DON’T DO IT!” I kept thinking of excuses like, “Your going to fall, fail, or even worse, You will get injured!”

Even though my mind told me no, my instincts somehow managed to make me do it anyways and I found myself stepping out.

As I started sliding my feet across the wire I came to a position that was really close to the splits and I came to a halt. “I can’t do this”, I said to the instructor. “I think you can”, he replied. Annoyed with his response I sat there holding myself up. I quickly realized that the longer I stood still the more the wire shook.

The only thing I could do was step out

I slid my leg towards the other and stepped out as quick as I could. I did it. I was on stable and solid ground. I couldn’t contain the grin on my face. I had achieved the one thing I hated most. With my helmet back on the rack and my heart finally back to it’s normal rate God’s soft and sweet voice spoke to my heart.

He said, “That is why you are fearless. You did it anyways.”

Life is like an obstacle course. It’s hard and scary. Sometimes we are forced to step out into the the unknown but  God holds this promise.

The LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you
~Deuteronomy 31:6

Are you struggling with fear and doubt? Step out and let God catch you. Just like I had to step out to make the wires beneath me stop shaking we must step out in faith for every situation to finally get to solid ground Let God make you fearless. His promises never fail. Go ahead, You got this! The one who created the heavens and the earth is here right now in this exact moment.

Remember that you are not fearless because you feel no fear. You are fearless because you stepped out, and you did it anyway.