I read an article today with a quote from Shonda Rhimes, the creative mind behind the ABC hit Grey’s Anatomy. “I was fearless because it didn’t occur to me to be afraid. And that fearlessness saved me. Fear tightens you up and confuses you and makes you react in ways that you shouldn’t, in ways that may be a detriment to your vision even if they are totally in line with what someone else is thinking.”
Shonda’s attitude towards fear allowed her to achieve much success in her career. There are so many of us today, who have divine callings on our life but allow fear to find a home in our hearts. In my opinion, it is okay to be a little nervous when starting out on a new endeavor. However, we mustn’t let those nerves turn into fear. Instead, we should use those feelings to push us forward; to motivate us to see our projects (goals) to the end.
Our time here on earth is a temporary assignment. Being a project manager, I look at life as a project or better yet a program. A project, as defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), is a “temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end. The end is reached when the project’s objectives have been achieved, or it becomes clear that the project objectives will not or cannot be met, or the need for the project no longer exists and the project is terminated. Temporary does not necessarily mean short in duration; many projects last for several years. In every case, however, the duration of a project is finite. Projects are not ongoing efforts.” No matter how a project ends lessons learned are almost always captured to assist with the forecast or planning of future projects.
Throughout every season of our life God introduces us to our new assignment or project. We are placed in a situation to learn and grow and to move on to our next assignment. Because our life is temporary we mustn’t allow fear to set in to delay us from what God has so perfectly lined up for us. The more we delay fulfilling God’s assignment the more individuals we hold up from seeing God’s glory.
I mentioned earlier that life can also be described as a program. Again, I will take the PMBOK definition to support my statement. The PMBOK defines a program as, “a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually.” You may feel as if you encounter the same situations or circumstances throughout your life. You may think that perhaps you are faced with the same challenges because you failed at completing the task earlier in your life. This may be true, however, don’t look at the situation as if you failed. Look at the situation as if God is using you for this particular need because he has gifted you with special skills that not everyone is equipped to handle. God created us for a purpose. He created us to be unique individuals. He created us to carry out his works. As you encounter the various projects (situations) of your life remember that they all have a definite beginning and a definite ending. If God brings you to it, then he will also see you through it.
What the bible says about fear…
1 Timothy 1:7 says: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
A prayer for overcoming fear…
Dear God, guide us as we approach the many projects (situations) that you have placed in front of us. Help us to understand that these situations were created for your glory. You have equipped us with the required skills to get through each of them; all we have to do is call on your name and you will assist us with seeing them through. Amen.
