Fear
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Listen men, embrace the fact that fear is a necessary part of our daily lives. Our make-believe superheroes tell us “real men know no fear” which is so easy to say and believe when you’re living in their fantasy world. In actuality, fear is the real world superhero sidekick we all need to have in our lives. Fear stands with us and warns us of the consequences we may create from our actions or inactions. Fear compels us towards self-preservation to keep us from taking unnecessary risks that may cause injury or something worse. Fear drives the desire for protecting long term relationships by preventing us from doing anything to jeopardize those alliances. Fear provides a motivating factor that will keep you working towards preserving what you already have, as well as striving for better things in life. Fear of the unknown forces us to be more strategic in our planning to ensure a beneficial future for ourselves and others.
Our response to fear may be an instinctual reaction conditioned from our past or may even be a passion you were meant to fulfill as a firefighter, police officer, soldier and any other perilous call of duty. As a child, I know I was fearful of many things, which is good because at that time I didn’t have the brawn or the brains to get me out of any sort of dangerous situations I’d put myself into. As I grew into a young man, the testosterone was what spoke louder than common sense and I shudder when I look back at what could’ve happened if not for the grace of God. In my latter years, I am much clearer now on the role that fear has in my life and how I can now leverage that emotion to make me a better man. I have learned to “run towards the roar” and not run from it.
I recently discovered that a lion does not actually hunt his own meal, he uses the lioness to make the kill. The lion will roar to frighten the prey into running away and right into the ambush of the lioness. What does that tell me? When moments of fear presents itself, I must be careful of the knee-jerk reaction I use to respond to the perceived threat. Do my actions “run from the roar” which could lead to finding myself way off course from where I wanted to be and make matters worse? Or do I find myself running towards the roar and facing my fears head on like a brave man and avoid the ambush that waits beyond the lion’s roar.
If we don’t face our fears, whether new or old ones, they will continue to drive us away from developing the courageous character that others will need from us at an appointed time. It occurred to me while remembering the story of David and Goliath, that David’s ability to pinpoint that one stone to puncture Goliath’s skull right between the eyes was not a miraculous event granted by God. If you remember the story of David, before his first experience in battle, he was just a young shepherd who used his sling and stones to chase away predators to protect his sheep. The daily training with his sling enabled him to prepare for that one moment in time that changed the course of Israel, and his destiny as their King.
As I look back over my life, I can say without a doubt, the fears that I ran from caused the most damage to my character and confidence. But the fear I ran towards were the ones that rewarded me with results that have enriched my journey to become more courageous in my role as a man. Fear can lock you into your own personal prison of missed opportunities and regrets. It will also rob you of the exhilaration you will experience conquering the “Goliaths” in your own life.