When Fear Keeps You Stuck

Fear doesn’t just scare us; it can quietly shrink our lives until we call “stuck” normal. We talk about why fear shows up for everyone, how it can function like a biological alarm, and what happens when that alarm misfires and starts shaping your story, your relationships, and your spiritual growth.

We anchor the conversation in 2 Timothy 1:7 and push back on the idea that fear gets to write the last chapter. Then we name six ways fear binds us, from predicting failure with false certainty to hiding behind “being careful,” eroding integrity, stacking up regret, chasing control through safety, and halting growth. If you’ve felt yourself drifting from what you know God is calling you to do, this will put language to it without piling on shame.

We also share three simple reframes to move from fear to faith: treat fear as information, remember risk is the cost of possibility, and practice courage as something you cultivate through small, consistent action. Finally, we walk through five practical steps you can start today, plus what to watch for when anxiety becomes constant, and it’s time to seek help from counselors, pastors, or medical professionals.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels stalled, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one fear you’re ready to name and face this week?

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Transcript

Fear Keeps Us Stalled

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Resilient Faith Podcast, Episode 88, When Fear Keeps You Stall. Six Ways to Break Free. Fear shows up for everyone, doesn't it? Sometimes it can be a helpful alarm, and sometimes it can be a way that keeps us from experiencing the light that God intends. Hello, my name's John Thurman, and you're listening to my shortcast, John Thurman's Resilient Faith Shortcast, where I help you develop a more resilient faith for your personal life, your relationships, and in your walk with the Lord. In today's show, I'll help you name fear. We'll take a look at what Scripture says about it, and then I'll help you recognize six ways that fear binds you, and then I'll give you a five-step plan to overcome it. I'm so glad you joined me today. My name is John Thurman. I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I'm an author, a speaker, and a therapist. And I'm glad you've joined me today. You are listening to John Thurman's Resilient Faith Short Test. To learn more about me, check out my website, johnturman.net. And right now I've got a freebie going on. Have you ever struggled with prayer, particularly how to pray tactically? Well, I've got a guide for you, and you can get that guide by simply texting the word TacPray, T-A-C-P-R-A-Y, to 33777. Type the word TacPray and send it to 33777 and get your free tactical prayer guide. Hey, let's jump right in today. I'm so glad you joined me. Hey, it's great to be with you today. I hope things are going great in your neck of the woods. I'm overcoming some bronchitis. The joys about living in New Mexico, particularly this time of year, is we have spring two or three times. We kind of shift between fake spring and fake winter, but I think spring is finally here. How can I tell? There's a yellow tint in the air, and my car has kind of a yellow powder on top of it that we'll get through it. Spring is here. We're in the thick of it, and I hope you're having a blessed one. I hope you had a great Easter and that the hope of the resurrection lives in you. Let's jump right in for a minute and talk about fear. What is fear? Well, fear is actually an alarm system. Biologically it exists to protect you from immediate threats. Eat, predators, sudden danger, and Albuquerque, maybe orange barrels, but that alarm has kept people alive for millennia. But like any alarm, it can get stuck or it can misfire. When that happens, fear stops being protective and begins to shape your story, convincing you that limited possibilities are all you can ever hope for. It's amazing how fear arrests our imagination, arrests our dreams, and can cause us to really get stuck. Here's an important scripture as we come to look at fear. Second Timothy 1 7 says, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Some translations say sound mind. You see, fear isn't the last word. God's desire for us, for you and I, is to live courageously with love and steady mindedness, to be clear headed, forward looking, and not to be distracted by fear. Now that doesn't mean that fear simply disappears overnight, but it does mean that fear does not get to define our future. You get that? Fear has no business defining your future. So don't let it. Let me share with you quickly that six different ways that fear can bind you up. Listen to these, and you can also check them in the show notes and on the blog, which I'll have a link to in the show notes. See if any of these fit you, and if they do, don't be overwhelmed. Just embrace it. Because once you can identify maybe your style, then you begin to deal with it and manage it more effectively. Number one, fear tells you unlikely things are inevitable. Thoughts like, I can't, I'll just fail, I'm not enough, feel decisive, but they're not destiny. They're fearful predictions. Naming them as predictions, not as facts, is the first crack in their power. In other words, when you can see that as just a prediction and not a fact, then you can begin taking active measures to get victory over it. Number two, fear masquerades as prudence. I see this so many times, a lot of my Christian friends. Avoidance gets labeled as being careful. But sometimes, quote, being careful, end quote, is socially acceptable and it's a way to protect comfort and avoid change. In other words, I can say I I really need to be careful about that when you're really trying to protect yourself from being uncomfortable. Let me give you a little word of advice here. Most forward moving change is going to be uncomfortable. So make sure you check your motives. Is caution keeping you safe or protecting you in a comfort zone to keep you from growing? Only you can answer that question, but consider it. Number three, fear erodes integrity. You may sense God's direction yet hesitate, rationalize, and slowly drift away from what He's called you to do. When fear lengthens the gap between conviction and actions, integrity weighs thin, and spiritual dissonance grows. That means the less you listen and the less you're obedient, the more struggle you're going to have in your soul. Number four, fear accumulates regret. A life of small retractions, those invites not accepted, the calls not returned, the people you ghost, the steps not taken, hardens into regret. And regret will usually lead to isolation. You see, fear's cost is not only missed opportunities, it's the slow aching what if that follows. Number five, by clinging to safety, fear promises control. If I don't try, I can't be judged. But that apparent control is a surrender of responsibility. The refusal to risk for what you were made to do is what happens. You miss that opportunity. So many times we trash the Apostle Peter for taking his eyes off Jesus when he stepped out of the boat. I'd just like to remind you, he's the only one that stepped out of the boat. Just saying. Number six, fear halts growth. Faith and fear pull in opposite directions. When fear dominates, you shrink back, you hold your cards close. Growth in faith is practiced through practical, faithful, repeated steps. To move forward in faith, it's baby steps and it's moving forward because fear wants to keep you stuck in the same place. And Jesus calls us to move forward. Now, if one of these things seems to sting a little bit, that can be helpful information. It's evidence that fear is active, but it can be addressed. I hope that was helpful. Next, I'm going to share three ways you can reframe fear and shift away from fear to faith. I really think you're going to receive a lot of value from just understanding these three different reframes you can do. Once again, you can see them in the show notes or hit the link to my blog. Number one, fear is information, not a final answer. Ask yourself this question: what is this fear protecting me from? Is that protection blocking a God-sized invitation? So treat that feeling as a data point or a data point. Name it, probe it, and then decide, is this just more information for me to move forward or something I really need to take care of? The second reframe is risk is the cost of possibility. Did you get that risk is the cost of possibility? Avoidance guarantees one outcome. You won't step into the opportunity, you'll shy away from it, you'll ghost the opportunity, if you will. So instead, reframe risk as the price of potential. What are you willing to risk to obey God, to serve others, and to grow personally? Number three, courage is something that's cultivated, not conjured. Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's the decision to act in spite of fear. It grows through small, consistent acts, not dramatic movie style heroic. Practice courage daily, and as you do that, it becomes muscle memory and you become more and more courageous. Well, I hope you remember those three reframes. There's something that can be very helpful as you learn to manage this. Now I want to close out with giving you five practical steps to move forward. These five steps blend spiritual practices with simple, measurable action. Do them daily for maximum momentum and growth and treat it one consistent thing at a time. Remember, inch by inch anything's a cinch, yard by yard it's going to be pretty hard. Number one, let go of the past. Repent where you need to, and practice forgiving yourself and others. Consider a tangible ritual like writing a short letter of repentance or forgiveness. Pray over it, and then destroy it or set it aside as a sign of release. If the past pain is deep, seek counseling and do the work you need to do to get free of it. Number two, narrow your focus. Approach each day with laser beam focus as opposed to shotgun effect. Ask yourself this one question. What is one thing God wants me to do today? Do that one thing first. Narrowing attention reduces feeling overwhelmed and builds forward momentum. Number three, and I remember the old movie, some of you might remember this. What about Bob? Take a small, steady step. An outreach call, one page of study. You see small wins compound daily. Commit yourself to keeping this appointment with yourself because it's for your personal growth. Number four, return to your God given purpose. Identify what gives you life and aligns with your calling. I believe all of us as Christians have a calling. So take one step towards that for the next ninety days. You see, purpose clarifies priorities and fuels perseverance. Number five, protect your mind with the word of God. Counter fearful thoughts with truth. Each night, write one scriptural counter truth for each fear you face that day. And say it aloud. Keep the focus on Jesus and allow scripture to reshape your imagination. Well, let me give you some practices you can try really quick. And once again, these are in the show notes and in the blog. Pray daily, five to fifteen minutes. Be honest, specific, listening as well as speaking. Try a short scripturing before each devotional period. One habit for 90 days. Choose something achievable and stick with it. Also make sure you have that community accountability. It might be through a Sunday school class, a men's group, a women's group, but have that goal and share that goal with a single trusted friend and let them kind of hold your feet to the fire, if you will. And then make sure that maybe monthly you take a time, a half a day or a few hours, just to focus and reflect. Now, when should you seek professional help? Some fear looks like occasional anxiety, but other fear can feel like a constant panic or severe avoidance or in really bad cases depression. If fear is causing you to withdraw from life, or you have an interrupted sleep, or you're feeling like your day is impaired because you're so anxious, get professional help. Pastors, counselors, and medical professionals are people that God can use to help you. Don't let pride keep you from getting the help you need. Just a short takeaway. What do you do tonight? Well, name one of the six fears that bind you up. Two, write it down. Three, pray about it briefly. Four, pick one faithful step from this five-step plan I gave you and commit to doing that same thing tomorrow. Tell a trusted friend to get some help. Let me just close with this. Fear may be loud, but fear is not vital. Name it, learn from it, reframe it, and move with the Holy Spirit's help and the Word of God, move through it one step at a time. Thanks so much. If this has been helpful, make sure you share it with someone else. My name is John Thurman, and you've been listening to my podcast, John Thurman's Resilient Faith Shortcast. This is John Thurman. To learn more about me, check out my website at JohnTurman.net. If you like my free tactical prayer guide, text the word T-A-C-P-R-A-Y to 33777. TacPray to 33777. My name's John Thurman. Thank you so much for joining me today. If you like it, subscribe and share. I'll see you next week. Like to remind you, this is the day that the Lord has made, and I will make a choice to rejoice and be glad in it. God bless. See you next time. Take care.