It’s contest season. Again. I don’t know about you, but I approach it with a combination of excitement, anxiety and fear.

I’m excited about the possibility the story I feel God gave me will be well received – excited for possible validation of the hard work and time put into a book – excited that some small truth about the hope, grace and redemptive love of God is out of my hands and into the world.

Still, there’s the anxiety over the not one, not two, but three typos I didn’t catch in the entry despite multiple reads by my huddle group and myself. There’s anxiety I didn’t convey the story well or whether I will do well in the contests. And, while I look at feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve, I am anxious about how it will make me feel about my abilities as a writer.

The worst, however, is the fear.

Do not be afraid. Fear not. Do not fear. Over and over again, we read these warnings in the Bible. In one of my favorites, God tells Israel,

… do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand. – Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Every time God or an angel shows up, the message is the same – Do not be afraid. I forget this message despite believing my writing comes from God. This is a truth I don’t struggle with. All stories, at least the ones of hope, redemption, grace and love come from God. The gift – the talent to put words to paper – comes from Him. He is the source of ideas, words and creativity.

Yet, when we write, it is so easy to allow fear – of rejection, of not being good enough, of failure and even of success – to invade our thoughts. It is tempting to do the opposite of God’s will. To fear instead of being overwhelmed by joy because He is with us in our writing. He helps us. He lifts up our writing.

Perhaps we forget because we trust in the wrong things as evidence He is with us in our writing. We look to numbers – how many followers, book deals, sales, stars, or likes rather than trusting in His timing, His lessons and His will.

This year, health issues made me realize anxiety and fear are really just opportunities to trust God is with me. I’m learning I am not alone in being afraid when I don’t know what God’s plan is. Mary was afraid. Joshua, Moses and David were afraid. But God’s message never changed. He is with us. He will help us, strengthen us, and to uphold us. We don’t have to understand when and how He does this; just trust He will. This contest season, regardless of the outcome, I’m remembering my favorite verse on fear:

“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” – Luke 1:30 (NIV)

What about you?

~*~

Nick Kording is a writer, ghostwriter and editor. She was a finalist in the 2014 Rattler Contest and Splickety Love’s Inaugural edition, where her flash fiction, It Does Not Envy, was published. Nick writes Christian living, Bible studies and devotionals, as well as women’s contemporary and Biblical fiction.