March Madness is underway and I absolutely love this time of year! The conference tournaments are exciting and watching the bracket reveal on selection Sunday is always fun. (Now we get to fill out our brackets and I hope you’ll join our bracket challenge HERE.)

Everything surrounding the NCAA Tournament is so thrilling, but I also recognize that fear gets involved. During the hours leading up to the announcement of which teams were in and which ones were out, I know that many fans, players, and coaches from certain teams were filled with these types of fears:

  • Fear of missing out on the tournament.

  • Fear of a tough matchup.

  • Fear of ending up in one of the first four matchups and having to play an extra game.

  • Fear that this will be their only chance to make it to the tournament.

Now that the bracket is set, new fears will threaten players, coaches, and fans:

  • Fear of getting upset by a lower seed.

  • Fear of not winning a game in the tournament.

  • Fear of not going as far as expected.

  • Fear of losing their coach if they win too many games because he’ll take a better job.

  • Fear of the coach being fired if they lose earlier than expected.

  • Fear of getting injured.

  • Fear of missing a game-winner.

  • Fear of players’ NBA Draft stock going down based on their performance.

  • Fear that players will transfer based on how the tournament goes.

  • Fear that we finish last in the bracket challenge!

There are many different reasons to fear the “what ifs” during March Madness, but the teams able to play fearless and overcome their fears will be the ones that keep moving on.

Teams that play without fear have confidence and freedom, but teams paralyzed and consumed by fear have hesitation and allow worst-case scenarios to dominate their thoughts and negatively affect their play.

If our favorite team made the tournament, we can relate to some of those fears, but even beyond March Madness, you and I know what it’s like to face the opponent of fear regularly.

If it wins, we feel paralyzed by it, we lack freedom, confidence, and clarity, and it causes us to be hesitant as we dwell on worst-case scenarios instead of best-case scenarios. Fear affects us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

So, how do we overcome fear, live fearlessly, and keep moving on? We must get to the root and examine any lies we believe that cause us to fear. We must also acknowledge what we’re trying to control or wish we had control over and accept that we don’t.

Then ultimately, it comes down to faith and surrendering to Jesus, trusting God with our life, and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our fears and keep our mind focused on the right things.

Psalm 112:6-8 (NLT) says, “…Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.”

It can be challenging to let go of our fears and trust God with everything, but He is worthy. Instead of focusing on lies, or “what ifs,” or the dread of things out of our control, let’s have the proper fear of the One who is faithful, who gets us through “each round,” and leads us to victory.

Psalm 112:1 (AMP) tells us, “…Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience], Who delights greatly in His commandments.”

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that when my eyes shift off of You and my mind wanders, I often am filled with fear. I pray, Lord, that You would help me overcome my fear and with faith, I’d remain surrendered to You. Please remove any negative fear caused by things out of my control. I desire the proper fear and awe of You and Your power. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.