“Here goes…”, I said as I stepped back to get a running start. My heart was pounding like 10 year old playing a game of whack a mole. With my left foot positioned behind my right, standing in a ready to run position, I began a quick countdown in my head, “3…2…1…”. Just five short strides later and I was airborne, free falling to an uncertain landing below.

It was my sophomore year of college and being in NorthEast Pennsylvania meant lots of rocky terrain. But it also meant plenty of forgotten and abandoned rock quarries, many of which now served as excellent swimming holes. While visiting them may or may not have been frowned upon by the local authorities, as college students we loved finding and exploring them. And today led us to one that measured 60 feet from ledge to water.

What seemed like an eternity, ended a few short seconds later, when my feet hit the water and I was quickly submerged. “Why was I so hesitant to make the leap first”, I wondered as my head reemerged? “What was it that caused my heart to pound and hands to shake?” “How was it that an internal countdown was required for me to make the leap?” These type of questions and more roll through my head often and at the root of it is…fear.

“No one can follow fear. Because fear doesn’t know where it’s going, only where it’s not going.”

Carey Nieuwhof

Fear is a constant threat and motivator for so many people, myself at the top of the list. It can be a liability or a liberator. It can hurt or help healthy decisions. It can incapacitate or empower a leader. Which is why I needed, appreciated, and enjoyed Carey Nieuwhof’s article “5 Signs Fear’s Getting the Best of You as a Leader“. The article includes challenges truths and healing balm at the same time.

As a leader these are difficult times. As a person these are challenging times. But we cannot allow fear to control us or dominate us (unless it is fear of the right things). As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day. Let me know what you think of the article and if there are any other sings you’d include in the list.