Fears

What if I like to write but I have no talent?
What if I only entertain myself?
What if my manuscript stinks?
What if no agent will ever take me on?
What if no editor will ever take a chance on me?
What if an agent and editor DO take a chance and my book fails miserably?
What if I get all 1 star reviews because all readers hate my book?
What if I put myself out there only to be crushed into smithereens?
What if this whole writing thing was just my own wants and not God's will?
What if I make the wrong choice to go indie instead of waiting for a traditional publisher?
What if I wait for a publisher when I should have gone indie?
What if my cover stinks?
What if my editor misses 100 spelling mistakes?
What if my fellow writing friends hate my books but are too nice to tell me?
What if--what if I'm just not good enough?

Am I the only one who hears these voices in my head from time to time? Sometimes daily?

One of my favorite songs right now is No Longer Slaves.

A few of my favorite lines:

"I'm no longer a slave to fear, for I am a child of God.

"You split the sea so I could walk right through it. You drown my fears in perfect love."

All those what ifs?

They represent our very real fears. Fear of rejection. Of failure. Of inadequacy.

I'm not going to lie. Some of those things might happen. You might get rejected. You might never publish a book. You might make a wrong choice and go down a path that isn't the best. You might have a stinky cover on a book, etc.

Our fears are real. They are valid. But they don't have to control us. We are no longer slaves to them.

Those fears lead to despair and bitterness.
But perfect love leads to hope. The hope we have in Jesus.

If we let go of fear, we can change up our what-ifs.

What if I like to write and God has gifted me with talent?
What if I can entertain someone when they need it most?
What if my manuscript is stellar?
What if the perfect agent says yes?
What if an editor takes a chance on me?
What if my book sells beyond my agent and editors' wildest dreams?
What if I get letters from people who have been touched by my stories?
What if I put myself out there and God is glorified through it?
What if this whole writing thing was not only my dream, but God's plan?
What if I make the choice to go indie and it opens wide new doors?
What if I wait for a publisher and get that contract God has been telling me to be patient for?
What if my cover is breathtaking?
What if my editor puts a pretty polish on my manuscript and makes it shine?
What if my fellow writing friends love my book and give me their honest praise?
It's so easy to think the bad. To be consumed with our fears and doubts to the point that it guarantees failure.

I'm not saying you'll never have fears.But I challenge you to let God's perfect love drown you fears. To focus on the what-ifs of HOPE.

Because regardless of how good WE are...

GOD is ALWAYS good enough. And always will be.

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Krista is a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mother, and writes romantic comedy. Her latest book A Side of Love, released February 29, 2016.  She blogs about finding JOY in the journey of LIFE at http://www.kristaphillips.com. She is represented by Sarah Freese of Wordserve Literary.