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Chapter Three  Fight the Fear Factor

A fighter has to know fear.

- Cus D Amato (American Boxing Trainer)

We need to overcome the fear factor in our lives! To fight fear and what you fear, you need to stand up to it and take action against it.

To fight fear, act. To increase fear wait, put off and postpone.

- David J. Schwartz (American Trainer, Author of The Magic of Thinking Big)

What is fear anyway? Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid (www.dictionary.reference.com). Fear is a major force and issue that everybody faces. No one person is exempt from fear. It has no respect for title, age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, position, income or any other characteristic. Fear comes to everyone, no matter who you are or what you have! I hear people say they are not afraid of anything or anyone, and I believe them. Right now, they may not be afraid of anything or anyone. However, depending on the situation, circumstance and issue at hand, fear will show up to visit and change the way they speak and act. Fear has a goal. Fear exists to shut your mouth and stop you in your tracks from going anywhere. If fear wins, it will stop you from speaking victory, success, health and prosperity. Fear will do everything in its power to cause you to feel afraid and see nothing but failure, tragedy, depression and a hopeless outcome. Fear is so serious that that there is a Web site that lists about 530 phobias (http://phobialist.com). The Fear List!

Why Do We Fear?

Why do we fear anyway? What causes fear to come and stay in our lives?

1. The uncertainty of provision, protection and safety.
2. Not knowing a guaranteed answer.
3. No faith.

I like the third answer best. No faith! When we do not have faith, we have fear. There is no such thing as not having either. We either have one or the other. When one comes, the other leaves. Its just the way it is. Its like light and darkness. Darkness is the lack of light. So when the light comes, the darkness goes. If darkness had a hand and reached into the light, it would dissipate and be no more. The same is true with fear. If fear had a hand and reached into faith, it would dissipate and be no more. The one replaces the other. Faith simply believes. Fear also believes. Faith believes the best; fear believes the worst. Faith and fear both work to bring an effect into this world. Faith and fear have a voice and want to be heard. Faith and fear will gravitate to the stronger belief system built in your heart. We should doubt our fears and believe in our faith. So many people, however, do just the opposite. They doubt their faith and believe their fears thus bringing what they feared would happen into reality.

This does not have to be. We can walk in the faith and confidence we were made to walk in when we were created. Fear is such a problem that Jesus and God Himself continued to encourage their key leaders to not be afraid. These were men and women who were used mightily of God and came up against some of the most dangerous scenarios life could through at them. This means when you are a key leader in business or in your community, you will be put into situations that will cause fear to come to you. Now, just because it comes does not mean you have to let it stay and have an effect on you. You can resist fear.

The purpose of fear is to paralyze you. Fear comes to stop you from going anywhere. When you are afraid, you do not move, you do not go forward. This is why the enemy will try to get you into fear; no progress is better than any progress. When fear comes, we do not have to let it stay! We can learn How to Handle Fear and Respond to it Properly and Positively!

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing that you think you cannot do.
- Eleanor Roosevelt