Mychal: "Are you afraid?"
David: "Terrified."
That snippet of dialogue is from the show The House of David, and is a perfect example of standing up to fear. The teenage shepherd armed with a sling and a few rocks had no business going up against a giant man of war, but he did it anyway because he felt it was the right thing to do.
How many times has fear held you captive? Not in a physical sense, perhaps, but in the quiet confines of your own mind. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of the unknown. These invisible chains can be just as binding as any physical restraint, limiting our experiences and constraining our world.
True freedom isn't the absence of fear. It's the presence of courage—the willingness to act despite the fear. It's about recognizing that the voice of apprehension might always be there, that the giant in your path might look truly intimidating. It's about choosing to step forward anyway like David did when he ran toward Goliath. He didn't brace himself and wait for the the giant to come to him. David literally ran to face his foe, to face his fear.
David wasn't fearless. He was a young shepherd facing a seasoned warrior, a figure of immense strength and experience. Yet, something within him—a conviction, a sense of purpose, a refusal to be defined by his fear, faith— propelled him forward. He chose freedom, not just for himself, but for his people, and that choice required confronting a very real and terrifying threat.
Our Goliaths might look different. They could be a daunting presentation at work, a difficult conversation we’ve been avoiding, a creative project we’re hesitant to start, or even just admitting a vulnerability to someone we trust. These aren't necessarily life-or-death battles in the literal sense, but they are battles for our personal freedom, for the space to grow and become more independent and fully ourselves.
Fortunately, we don’t need weapons to face our fears. We need the courage to acknowledge the fear, understand what's at stake (our own sense of freedom and potential), and take that first shaky step. Each time we do, that giant of fear shrinks a little.
The freedom we seek isn't just out there in the world; it's also the freedom we cultivate within ourselves, the freedom to move beyond the limitations fear imposes. It’s the emboldening realization that even when you’re afraid, you are still capable and still in charge of your own choices.
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Today's action prompt: Identify a "Goliath" in your life—something you've been avoiding due to fear. Now turn toward it and face it. Then take a first step toward it. Maybe it's making a difficult phone call, doing a little research, or making an appointment you've been dreading. Facing our fears and combatting them (not hiding from them) is how we vanquish them.