Transforming Fear Into Courageous Action

Have you ever found yourself feeling incredibly small compared to the daunting projects that stand between you and the growth of your business?  

Maybe you've found yourself wondering...  

"What have I gotten myself into?!" 

"Will I ever get to a point of feeling courageous and victorious in this business?" 

"Or am I doomed to live in a never-ending state of stress and fear when I consider all that is required of me to succeed?"  

Well, if you can relate to this, then you're in the right place. 

On today's episode, we're going to look at how we can partner with Christ to TRANSFORM our fears into courageous action that moves our businesses into success. 

I will be sharing a personal story about the first big online challenge I offered and how overwhelming it felt, threatening me with paralysis as I continually saw how small I was compared to all that needed to be accomplished. 

But Christ showed me HOW to TRANSFORM the way I saw myself and look to Him for EVERYTHING I needed to succeed. 

It was an amazing journey and it carried rich lessons that will help YOU to transform the way you handle the overwhelming challenges within YOUR business. 

DON'T MISS OUT! 

I'll see you inside! 

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Transcript

Hi there friend. I'm Kathleen Fischer. And I'm wondering, have you ever found yourself feeling incredibly small compared to the daunting projects that stand between you and the growth of your business?  

Maybe you found yourself wondering what have I gotten myself into? 

Will I ever get to a point of feeling courageous and victorious in this business? 

Or am I doomed to live in a never ending state of stress and fear when I consider all that is required of me to succeed.  

Well, if you can relate to this, then you're in the right place. 

Because on today's episode, we're going to look at how we can partner with Christ to transform our fears into courageous action that moves our businesses forward. 

Let's pray. And then we'll get started. 

Heavenly father. Thank you that you do not desire for us to build our businesses out of our own strength. But rather out of the wisdom, knowledge and strength of your son, Jesus Christ. 

Release a fresh wind of your holy spirit upon each of us Lord, as we lean in to learn what it looks like to partner with your son and the holy spirit to fulfill your will for our businesses. 

 Ignite our hearts with faith to believe that you are the one who accomplishes that which you have spoken to us. 

I ask for these things, Father through the precious name of your son. Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 Oh, okay. 

Let's dive in. 

 The scriptures that set the stage for our discussion today can be found in Philippians 4:13 and 2 Corinthians 12:9. 

Let's start off by looking at a problem that is so common for us in our businesses. 

It's the problem of facing things that are way outside our comfort zone. 

Maybe it's tech that you don't understand. Or a learning curve that you don't have the energy and time for, and that frightens you, or a speaking engagement that feels overwhelming. 

Whatever it is, you know you're passionate about fulfilling God's will for you. But you long for a proverbial magic wand that will make your fears evaporate and fill you with a spirit of confidence and courageous action. 

Well take heart, my friend. You are in good company. 

 Because we all face fear when we have to do things that are outside our comfort zones.

No matter how far up the ladder we may be in business, there is always the next rung of that ladder that contains things we have never done, and that feel bigger than we can accomplish. 

When we face these things in our flesh, we will most often sabotage our forward movement by allowing our fears to paralyze us or lead us to do things that follow the world's patterns and fail to honor God.  

But God has made another way for us. 

It is the path where we look to Christ and allow his wisdom and power to be exerted in us through his amazing grace.  

Perhaps you've heard Paul's own words from prison where he says that he has learned to endure all things through Christ who strengthens him. 

Or the time Paul asked Christ to remove the thorn in his flesh. And Christ responds with, "my grace is sufficient for you from my power is perfected in weakness." 

 And you've found yourself thinking, well, that's great for Paul, but I'm not Paul.

 Yet. Throughout Paul's story. He reminds us that he's just a man. Like any of us human. 

 But also one whom Christ has taken a hold of for the purposes of God. 

Isn't God's call on you to build a business the same thing?  

Hasn't God taken hold of you for his good purposes? 

 Or maybe he is trying to take hold of you. But you are struggling to look to Christ so that you can experience his power amidst the challenges you face as you seek to fulfill God's will.  

This is what I've learned, happens to most of us.

We want to fulfill God's will. But the challenges God allows us to face can feel so daunting and we can feel so small and inadequate in the face of them that we forget that God is using those challenges to lead us back to Jesus so that we can experience the wonder of his super-natural help.  

But what does that really look like in the midst of the challenging business projects we so often face? 

Well, that's what today's story is all about. It's a real life business story where the requirements of a project were way over my head. And where I felt the paralysis of fear. 

But it is also where I came to experience first hand the incredible power of Christ to rescue me from my fears and transform the feeling of paralysis into faith inspired courageous action that brought success to one of the greatest projects I've had the joy of accomplishing.

This rescue mission took place when I sought to launch my first online challenge. It goes back to the time when God had first called me to help his daughters no longer work out of the weakness of their flesh, but rather out of the power of Christ.  

I was so excited by what Jesus had been teaching me in my time of sabbatical with him. 

I was chomping at the bit to share all that I had learned. 

So I brainstormed with my coach and we came up with The Negative Thinking Challenge.  While I had just experienced being a participant in a challenge, I had never created an online challenge of my own from scratch.

But I was so eager to go for it that I just dove in.  

The truth here is that I had no idea what I was really getting into.  In my eagerness to help others as soon as possible, I created a fairly small window in which to launch the challenge.  

As I began to discover what needed to get done, I began to run into serious bouts of fear and overwhelm.  I became all too aware of my inadequacies.

I found myself thinking I have no idea to get people to show up for this event. 

I'm a coach and a trainer, but I am definitely not a marketing strategist or social media guru.  

 I would think.  How am I ever going to get all this work done in time? 

I'm not good at gauging how long it takes to get stuff done in the first place. 

And now I've publicly committed to this event. 

Oh, my gosh, what have I gotten myself into? Who will rescue me from this overwhelming fear and the death it is causing me.  

Okay right now I can hear you shouting the answer to me. Jesus Christ the Lord.  Thanks for that support. Because you're right.  

But let's learn how he rescued me.  

While  I knew in my spirit that God had called me into this daunting, but wonderful project and was infusing the passion I had to do the project. I also began to experience panic about the fear that I was experiencing. 

I began to wonder if my fear was going to sabotage everything. So I cried out to Jesus. 

Please Jesus. Show me how to overcome this fear. Show me what to believe. Show me how to do this.

 That's when Jesus reminded me of Paul similar cry that I mentioned earlier in second Corinthians 12, nine. Remember it's where Paul cries out to Jesus to set them free from a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment him. And Jesus lovingly replies to him. that my grace is sufficient for you for my power is perfected in weakness. 

This verse became my key to victory,  my sword of the spirit that would time and time again, set me free from the fears of my flesh and transport me into courageous action.  I began to use the sword every time, fear and overwhelm would rise up within me, and every time I felt spiritual forces of darkness coming against me. 

Here's how it would play out.  A feeling of fear would grab a hold of me along with a fearful thought, like, how am I going to get all this work done in time?  And when this would happen, I would remember that if I was feeling afraid or overwhelmed or indequate, it was because my flesh was governing my mind, my heart and even my soul.  

That's when I would take out the smelling salts of Jesus's words to Paul. 

I would stop what I was doing. Close my eyes. Look into the face of Jesus and say thank you Jesus that your power is made complete in my weakness.  You know exactly how to accomplish this project. And how to make up the difference between what I lack and what you have to move this project forward. 

 I'd get specific about my Thanksgiving and my request for help. Think of Philippians 4:6 here, where Paul reminds us to not be anxious about anything, but to make our requests known with Thanksgiving.  

So for example,

one day, it became clear that I needed a marketing person to help me with social media and running ads, because I knew nothing about these things.

So I prayed Lord Jesus. Thank you. That you know exactly what I need to get the word out and to bring in the people that you want to experience this challenge. I ask that you would bring forth the person that I need to help me.   Well, within a few days, I happen to decide to visit a colleagues online business group  . In that event, I was asked to share what I do.  It just so happened also that there was a very bright and creative marketing person in that meeting who deeply resonated immediately with the help that I offer people. 

And while she was exceptionally bright in the skill, she delivers. She needed some help walking in the power of Jesus to overcome some of the obstacles she was experiencing within her business. So she quickly reached out to me and we worked out a powerful Alliance that provided the support I needed to attract the people into this initial challenge. She went on to continue to support me in almost all of my initial Christ empowered projects. I grew to love that woman and deeply appreciate the help that she was giving me, and I knew that she was a gift to me from Jesus Christ himself.  I was amazed by the way, Jesus used his power to fill in the gap of what I was completely unable to do by myself.   

Many other times during this project, I would feel panick about timing and having so much to get done. So I would pray. Thank you, Jesus that you own time. You know exactly what needs to get done and you live within me. Fill me with your wisdom and strength to get the work done. 

And he did.  Even to the point.  Of empowering me to double the programs I was offering at the end of that challenge... 

when I realized, in the middle of the challenge, that I had two different types of people within the challenge. 

Women who were not in business and women who were.  

He showed me his heart for both of these groups and I could feel him, challenge me to trust him, to help me create a second program for the non-business woman on the fly. And he did. 

 Then there were the times that I felt the distinct sense of oppression from spiritual forces of darkness that were trying to scare me as we approached the event. I would turn to Jesus and ask for the strength and faith to take my stand against them. And he would give it to me. 

In faith, I would stand up, literally from my desk and take my stand against Satan and all spiritual forces of darkness in Jesus' name.  ()  () See Ephesians 6:10-17 for confirmation of the importance of this.) I would give praise and glory to Jesus Christ for his power to bring forth the will of God in my life and in my work and continue to verbally praise and give Thanksgiving for Jesus' glory until the enemy forces would flee. 

 Every time I took my stand in Christ against the spiritual forces of darkness, Christ's power would rise up on my behalf and those forces would flee. And the feeling of oppression with lift.  

One of my favorite songs to sing in this season of challenge and forevermore became, I Raise a Hallelujah by Bethel music, and I would often go for a bike ride or walk and sing this song out loud so that the spiritual forces of darkness would be sent running by my praises and  bring the victory to me every time. 

 It was through the overwhelming challenges I experienced in this first online challenge. That I learned the power of Christ words to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9. That his grace would be sufficient for me in the challenges that I faced. And that his power would be brought into fullness through my weaknesses. 

Hallelujah!! What a savior!  

From this time forward. Every time I have found myself caught in a state of fear or overwhelm about my inadequacies or the requirements of the business, I have learned to turn to Jesus through this verse.

 I remember that his power is brought into fullness in my weakness. 

I remember that he is the one who holds the wisdom and power to fulfill God's will within me and through me.  

And every day I rise up to give him thanks for his presence with me, his promise to help me. And his power to bring forth the complete will of God.

 Every day, I have learned to ask Jesus for his comfort. , His wisdom, his  power, and His strength to navigate whatever I am facing so that in the midst of the fears and overwhelm within my business, he leads me into the victory. 

Through this very practical strategy and the numerous opportunities God has given me to practice it, I have learned how to transform my fears into courageous action that moves me and the business forward through the power of Christ. 

Jesus Christ has proven himself faithful to show me the way through everything that we will encounter. 

Therefore, every obstacle actually becomes an opportunity for us to experience the glory of Christ.  

Do I still experience fear. You bet I do! 

But it has become the catapult that launches me into the grace and power of Jesus Christ.  

The effect, freedom from fear and a new courageous spirit that has me singing. Yes and amen to Christ's wisdom and power that will be activated on my behalf to help me overcome every challenge and move forward to fulfill the will of God from my business. 

The same is true for you. 

Jesus Christ came to give you a new life in him. That will have you singing yes and amen to his power and wisdom that will be activated on your behalf  to help you overcome every challenge and move forward victoriously to fulfill the will of God for you in your business. 

So. How about you? 

 Are you tired of the weakness of your flesh sabotaging the work that God is calling you to do?

 Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by the challenges that come up within your business

and you feel the stress as you think, what am I going to do? How am I going to solve this problem?  All the while Jesus is right there with you. Eager to fill you. with his wisdom, his knowledge, his understanding, his power, his strength to help you solve the problem you're facing

and move forward into the amazing things that God is calling you to do. 

 Are you ready? To move into the space where you have learned to be the one who says yes and amen to Jesus, thank you for your help and power amidst the scary places and challenges in my business.  

Then don't delay, commit to becoming a Christ empowered entrepreneur.

Follow this podcast, connect with me   and invite your friends to join you in the adventure of learning how to be a Christ empowered entrepreneur. 

Let's pray.  

Heavenly father.  

Thank you. For giving us your son Jesus Christ. 

Thank you for how you have made us one with you through him. 

Thank you that you have not left us to serve you through our weak  flesh, but instead you have filled us with the glorious power of your holy spirit and given us Jesus Christ, your son as our savior, shepherd and friend.  

Awaken us today to your truths within this message and compel us to take action that sets us free from the hindrances of our fear filled flesh and moves us into the glorious fellowship, joy and power of your son, Jesus Christ. 

So that together with him, we will become your courageous women of faith, who fulfill your will upon the earth through the power of your son, Jesus Christ. 

Thank you father for your power to do this. For you have made it so.  

 We pray all of this  through the precious name of your son. Jesus Christ. Our Lord. Amen.