When You're Scared to Try

Hey, Carpool Crew! Happy Thursday. Quick question. Have you ever wanted to try something so bad, but your stomach got all twisty and your feet would not move? I'm Pastor Justin. So glad you're with us today. Being scared to try something is one of the most normal feelings there is. Grown-ups feel it too. So today we're talking about what to do with that twisty feeling. Here's the one thing to remember for the ride: you don't have to be brave alone, because God is with you. Listen to Isaiah 41:10. God says, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand." Did you catch how many times God says I will? He's making promises. He's not telling you to go be brave by yourself. He's saying I'm right here, holding on to you. Think about that. The Bible never tells you to just feel brave out of nowhere. It tells you God is with you, and that's where the brave comes from. You're not alone at the scary part. The strongest One there is stands right next to you. If Jesus were standing at the bottom of the ladder with you, looking up at the same scary thing, He would put a hand on your shoulder and say, "We'll do this together. I'm not going anywhere. You're stronger than you feel, because I'm holding you up." It's a hot summer day at the pool and you're staring up at the high diving board, the big one. Your friends already went. Now you're climbing the ladder, knees shaking, and the water looks a hundred miles down. Everything in you wants to climb back down. But you take a breath, remember God is right there with you, and walk to the edge. Maybe you jump today. Maybe you don't. But you didn't face it alone, and that changes everything. This week, here are a few things to try. First, pick one thing you've been too scared to try and take the first small step toward it today. Second, right before the scary part, whisper one sentence. "God, You're with me, so here I go." Third, ask yourself, am I waiting until I feel brave enough? Brave doesn't usually come first. You take the step with God, and the brave shows up on the way. Let's go back to that one thing for the ride. You don't have to be brave alone, because God is with you. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, we sort every episode by topic, things like courage, honesty, anger, and fear. If your family is walking through something specific, go to carpoolingwithjesus.com and look under Topics. And if your family wants the weekend episodes too, they're waiting in Carpooling with Jesus+, right in the app you're already using. Oh, and one more thing for the crew. Speaking of being brave when you're scared, later this month a brand-new Daniel story is coming over on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible. Daniel did one of the bravest things ever, he kept praying to God even when the king made a rule against it. Go follow that show so you don't miss it when it drops. Before you go, let's answer this together. What's one thing you really want to try, and what's one small step you could take toward it this week? I love you, Carpool Crew. I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.