Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)
God has placed specific goals and desires inside of you. If they seem consistently delayed, fear might be the root cause.
You see, our hearts grow what we put in them. If you drop one apple seed into soil, over time, it will produce thousands of apples and even more seeds. Just as soil produces greater amounts of whatever we put in it, our hearts do the same.
That’s why Proverbs 4:23 warns us to guard what we allow into our hearts. If you allow fear to creep in, you can become afraid to pursue your dreams, which defers your hopes of them ever happening.
After a few business losses or failed relationships, many people end up scared to try again. For example, let’s say someone dreams of having a great marriage one day. After enduring a couple of unhealthy relationships, however, they now feel hesitant to get close to someone else or even give a new person a try. That fear can cause a sense of hopelessness and despair to begin creeping into their heart.
Fortunately, we hold the power to choose what we allow our hearts to grow. God has given you His Word and He’s prepared good works for you (Ephesians 2:10). You can choose to focus on the negative and let fear hold you back indefinitely, or you can analyze the negative for a moment and then decide to push onward and stick with what God’s Word says for your future.
Feed your heart God’s truths and His promises and plans for you. Then fear won’t stand a chance of holding you back from pursuing and fulfilling the God-inspired desires He has placed within you!