Don’t let past emotional traumas be your excuse not to move forward in life.  Don’t let that moment win and rule over you! Sometimes, we can get caught in a trap of using our past as an excuse for not moving forward and accomplishing or experiencing new things because of fear. If you know you need to overcome your apprehension to move forward because you fear failure, you need to deal with it.  There is nothing wrong with it, we have all been there at some point in our lives, but it needs to be acknowledged and dealt with. Maybe the fear you have is a result of the trauma you experienced.  You don’t have to let it win. To have a healthy, successful life, we have to deal with things honestly.   The first step towards recovery is acknowledging whatever problem we have. For instance, a drug addict has to recognize there is a problem to begin to overcome. The same is true with everything. If we can’t acknowledge something is broken, we will never attempt to fix it. Unless, of course, we are just lazy.  

Sometimes we can use things like a crutch and keep ourselves crippled emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.  For some, it becomes a security blanket.  We identify with it to the point that we wear it like it’s just who we are.  That is not God’s best for us!  God has a better plan for us and wants us to succeed in every area of our life. Jesus died a brutal death and was nailed to a cross to make us whole and free us from a destructive and tormented life.  He is our biggest fan! Our biggest supporter and our greatest strength! 

God did not give us a spirit of fear. Fear is an enemy that robs us and attempts to prevent us from obtaining what is in front of us.  Fear will challenge us and ask us to settle, and fear will readily offer us excuses. Fear will tell us why we can’t and never provide a solution as to why we can.  

The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love, and self-control.

(2 Timothy 1:7 ERV)

When God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt and finally, after 40 years, got them to the edge of the promised land,  they were unable to overcome their fear! They could not enter and enjoy the promise of God’s blessings because they couldn’t see past the size of the giants that occupied the land.  

But the men who had gone with him said, “We cannot fight those people! They are much stronger than we are.” So those men gave a report that discouraged the people. They said, “The land we saw is full of strong people. They are strong enough to easily defeat anyone who goes there. We saw the giant Nephilim people there! (The descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim.) We felt like little grasshoppers. Yes, we were like grasshoppers to them!”

(Numbers 13:31-33 ERV)

Their hearts were fearful, and their mouths were full of excuses.  The sad thing is, not only did they not trust God, they began to blame God and wished they could either die or go back to Egypt and become slaves again.  

Did the Lord bring us to this new land to be killed in war? The enemy will kill us and take our wives and children! It would be better for us to go back to Egypt.”

(Numbers 14:3 ERV)

Sounds crazy, but we see drug addicts, alcoholics, and people in abusive relationships do it all the time.  They would rather go back to what they’ve known than to brave the unknown! Fear is an enemy!  Don’t let past traumas become your master! Don’t let it be your excuse fed to you by your fears, causing you to live in a place that is not God’s best for you! 

Caleb and Joshua were the only two faith-filled individuals who acknowledge the giants but knew because God was with them, they could not lose! 

Joshua and Caleb became very upset. (Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were two of the men who explored the land.) These two men said to all the Israelites gathered there, “The land that we saw is very good. It is a land filled with many good things. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land. And he will give that land to us. So don’t turn against the Lord! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land. We can defeat them. They have no protection, nothing to keep them safe. But we have the Lord with us, so don’t be afraid!”

(Numbers 14:6-9 ERV)

We may have to acknowledge some giants are there, but we also, by faith, have to recognize that God is greater than any giant we will ever face!  Don’t run back to your Egypt! Don’t blame or complain against God! Don’t confess that it’s just your lot in life or your burden to carry! Stop using your crutch, rise, be healed, and made whole! You have a very bright future ahead of you, and God is with you to see you through! You can have every promise given in scripture and walk in the peace of God without fear!