This week's Pep Talk: "Sacrifice Fears"

I always look forward to Friday mornings and fellowship with some buddies. We unite with a purpose: to challenge one another, through talking about faith, to play like champions - home, work and elsewhere - in ways that honor a higher power, nurture those dependent upon us and add value to the communities we serve.

On this particular morning, almost two dozen men - white, black and brown - focused on where our thoughts take us, especially in challenging and fearful times. When life’s unpleasant stuff comes a calling, where do our thoughts go? It’s a real challenge for each of us, ain’t it? Life rarely goes as planned, right? Would it be fair to suggest having a game plan for handling life’s lemons in healthy and productive ways might be smart?

We had a lively discussion about fear and how thoughts play tricks on us. There’s a great acronym for fear that really resonates with me and, I hope, with you: Forget Everything And Return. In other words, we try like heck to move forward from past hurts and disappointments in an effort to become, emotionally, spiritually and physically, superior to our former selves. But, we all can relate, the road to improvement can get a bit bumpy. Ever been there? Don’t feel bad, we’ve all visited that lousy lodge. We fall back into the old and unproductive habits that created the consternation in the first place - we forget everything and return, wondering, “Why?”

In these times, my foundation is faith, particularly the wisdom found in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not harm you; to give you hope and a future.” Whether it’s been moving on from the pain of devastating injury curtailing a promising athletic career; marriages, with children, ending in divorce; jobs in the television industry terminating with disappointment, remembering, and often reciting, those wise words have helped me stay rooted in hope for the future, not pain from the past - be a student, not victim of the experience.

I know, it ain’t easy. We also know truly valuable things in life are rarely achieved without sacrifice, right? Well, how about this week we promise one another that, collectively, we’re gonna do one thing: we’re gonna sacrifice our fears. Shakespeare once suggested: “Our doubts are traitors that make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

An introspective prophet more than 2,000 years ago; an English poet and playright four centuries ago; a recent men’s fellowship group and now this Pep Talk reminder today - sacrifice fears, not dreams.

It’s a truth that transcends time, permeates the soul and fuels, if we allow it, faith.