Fear, I'm Over You (Ebook Shorts)

Holley Gerth

Description

Fear tries to keep you up at night, shouts when you pursue something new, whispers as you see the latest headlines. It stalks you at the doctor's office, stares you down in important meetings, or messes with your most significant relationships. It challenges your faith and throws punches at your prayers. Fear is a bully. But it doesn't have to be the boss of you.Want to overcome the fears in your life? In this empowering book, bestselling author, life coach, and counselor Holley Gerth shares twenty-one spiritual truths backed by psychological insights that will help you find the courage and confidence to face each day with faith instead of fear--starting right now.You're stronger than you know, braver than you feel, and loved more than you can even imagine. It's time to tell your fear, "I'm over you!"

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 04 mai 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441245403
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Other Works by Holley Gerth
You’re Already Amazing
The “Do What You Can” Plan
You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream
You’re Going to Be Okay
What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days
You’re Loved No Matter What
Fiercehearted
Hope Your Heart Needs
Strong, Brave, Loved
The Powerful Purpose of Introverts
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2021 by Holley, Inc.
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2021
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4540-3 (ebook)
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled CSB are from the Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Contents

Cover 1
Other Works by Holley Gerth 2
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Introduction 6
Day 1: How Our Brains Respond to Fear and Stress 8
Day 2: Is Your Fear Helpful or Unhelpful? How to Tell the Difference 11
Day 3: Moving from Fear to Courage 14
Day 4: Start Solving Your Worry 17
Day 5: You’re Never Alone in Your Fears 20
Day 6: The Surprising Benefits of Anxiety 23
Day 7: The Myth of Being 100 Percent Sure 27
Day 8: Love Is Stronger Than Fear 30
Day 9: Letting Go of Control 33
Day 10: What’s Actually Yours 36
Day 11: Overcoming Fear of the Future 39
Day 12: What’s Truer Than the Headlines 42
Day 13: Move Forward with Faith 45
Day 14: No More FOMO 48
Day 15: Finding Real Security 50
Day 16: Managing Change 53
Day 17: Why You Can Be Brave 56
Day 18: Even More Than Safe 59
Day 19: God Is Not Afraid of the Dark 62
Day 20: Look How Far You’ve Come 65
Day 21: An Invitation to Courage 68
Your Next Step 71
Notes 72
Acknowledgments 74
About Holley 75
Back Ads 76
Back Cover 77
Introduction

Does this sound familiar? Fear tries to keep you up at night, shouts when you pursue something new, whispers as you hear the latest headlines. It stalks you at the doctor’s office, stares you down in important meetings, or messes with your most significant relationships. It challenges your faith and throws punches at your prayers.
Maybe you’ve believed life will always be that way. But what if you don’t have to let fear hassle you anymore? What if you can take back your peace, confidence, and courage? Fear can be an annoying bully, but it’s not the boss of you.
I’ve learned that dealing with fear is inevitable, but letting it control your life is optional. God promises to help us overcome fear.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you. (Isa. 41:10)
I’ll do this fear-fighting challenge with you. As a licensed counselor, life coach, and bestselling author, I’ve connected with thousands of people who are battling fear. It’s actually the most common struggle I see. You’re far from the only one.
As someone who has struggled with anxiety most of her life, I’m also familiar with fear personally. I’ve discovered what helps defeat it, and I’ll share empowering spiritual truths, psychological insights, and practical tools with you. Some of what you’ll read is new, but I also gathered the most helpful insights on this topic from my work as a writer, life coach, and counselor.
Fear actually has a helpful purpose in our lives. We sometimes just give it too much power. Fear warns us of danger, tells us what matters most to us, and prepares us to act. We wouldn’t survive without it. But fear was never meant to dominate our emotions, minds, or lives. The goal of our time together isn’t to get rid of fear completely but to take back our God-given control over it.
When we say we’re “over” something, it means we’re tired of it. I imagine you feel that way about fear. But the word over also means that something no longer has an emotional hold on us. It means we’re in a position of authority over it.
Notify your fear that things are going to change. It doesn’t get to push you around anymore. It’s not allowed to steal your peace. It can’t hold you back from all God has for you.
You’re stronger than you know, braver than you feel, and loved more than you can even imagine. It’s time to tell your fear, “I’m over you!”
PS: For more resources that go with this ebook, visit www.holleygerth.com/fearchallenge .
Day 1 How Our Brains Respond to Fear and Stress
Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12:2
I’m writing this from my upstairs office on a spring day. Outside, everything looks the same. The Canadian geese that come to our pond every year have built their nest in the usual spot. The dogwood tree on the corner is in bloom. The turtles are lined up in the sun like teenagers at the beach. But, really, nothing is the same. Because I’m writing this in the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. School is virtual. Restaurants are closed. Social distancing is suddenly the norm.
When I ventured to the grocery store for a few necessities, I could feel the fear like electricity in the air. When I looked at social media later that day, I could sense it too. In times like this, how do our brains respond?
Most of us are familiar with the fight-or-flight response. It’s necessary for our survival. If a bear came charging out of the woods at us, we would react instantly by fleeing or becoming aggressive. I see versions of this response now, as some people buy all the toilet paper even though someone else might need it (fight) or ignore what’s going on (a form of flight).
But are fight and flight our only options? Thankfully, no, our brains have two other responses to stress that can prove much more helpful.
The first is the challenge response. Think of a time when you were afraid but also preparing for action. Examples would include an athlete before a big game, a presenter preparing to give a speech, or a parent handling a crisis involving their child. The difference in the challenge response is that we tell ourselves, “I’ve got this” or, as believers, “I’ve got this because God’s got me.”
Health psychologist and author Kelly McGonigal says,
Like a fight-or-flight response, a challenge response gives you energy and helps you perform under pressure. Your heart rate still rises, your adrenaline spikes, your muscles and brain get more fuel, and the feel-good chemicals surge. But it differs from a fight-or-flight response in a few important ways: You feel focused but not fearful. You also release a different ratio of stress hormones, including higher levels of DHEA, which helps you recover and learn from stress. This raises the growth index of your stress response, the beneficial ratio of stress hormones that can determine, in part, whether a stressful experience is strengthening or harmful. 1
Making a plan or asking ourselves, “What’s one helpful action I can take right now?” helps our brains move into the challenge response.
The second response our brains have to stress is called tend-and-befriend. We see this during any disaster when the helpers appear. When we assist others, our brains release oxytocin, which is sometimes called the cuddle hormone. It bonds us to others, and it’s good for us personally; it can literally strengthen our hearts. Asking, “Who can I help right now?” helps shift our brains out of fight-or-flight mode. McGonigal says, “When you help someone else in the middle of your own distress, you counter the downward spiral of defeat.” 2
We will all experience the fight-or-flight response, especially when the unexpected happens, but we don’t have to stay in it. God said he’ll take care of the birds and flowers I see outside my window. That, too, is still the same. He also takes care of us in many ways—including giving us a remarkable, adaptable brain.

God,
Thank you for giving me a brain that can respond and adapt in many ways to whatever happens. When I feel stuck in fear, help me see it as a challenge that you and I can handle together so I can take action. And give me the courage to help others, because we are better and braver together. Amen.

What’s a time when you chose the challenge response? What’s a time when you chose the tend-and-befriend response?

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: When you experience stress today, pause and deliberately try using the challenge or tend-and-befriend response. To choose the challenge response, pause and take an intentional action regarding what’s causing you fear. To choose the tend-and-befriend response, reach out to someone else to ask for help or offer support in some way. You aren’t at the mercy of your fight-or-flight response.
Day 2 Is Your Fear Helpful or Unhelpful? How to Tell the Difference
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3
When we struggle with fear, it’s easy to think we need to get rid of all fear. But in many circumstances, fear is a healthy and appropriate response. God gave us brains equipped with a fear response for our protection. When he tells us not to be afraid, it’s not a rebuke for experiencing fear; it’s a reassurance