What Paralyzes You?

What Paralyzes You?

By Mavis Tipton 

Paralyze: Render helpless or ineffective.

When I was a little girl there were two things that could render me helpless and ineffective.  1. Snakes and 2. Climbing up or down a cliff. 

A neighbor boy had dangled a non-poisonous snake in my face and chased me with it on different occasions.  His father stood by and just watched as I screamed and ran.  It was a big joke, but not to me.   

To this day I do not like snakes, however I’m not quite as fearful of them as I was as a child.  But I will hurt you if you come near me with one.

In the summer, my family and I would go to the river to swim and have picnics.  Sometimes we would go to parks where there were trails to follow and it was easy to get to the river.   

Other times my dad would stop when he would see a spot he thought was a nice place to have our picnic.  On these occasions there usually were not any trails to follow, and you had to climb down the side of the mountain to the water.  These mountains were not grassy slopes, but rock and gravel. 

He always had to coach me down, and coach me back up when it was time to leave.  I had a fear of falling. 

My dad would encourage me you can do it.  Just put your foot here and your hand there. But fear would paralyze me and I could hardly move.  In my heart I knew my dad wouldn’t ask me to do something that would harm me, but my head could not get that message. 

What thing or things do you allow to paralyze you and render you helpless or ineffective?


Our heavenly Father is always there, to encourage, instruct, strengthen and help us, if we will just let Him. 

He is saying ‘Daughter you can do it, trust in Me, and I will see you through.’

He does not want you to be crippled, helpless or rendered ineffective.  He has so much more for you.  Remember, fear is not of the Lord. It is from Satan. 


My dad helped me get over my fear of steep slopes.  My heavenly Father has helped me in my walk with Him when Satan tries to paralyze me. ‘Abba Father only wants what is best for me and for you.

Will you release your fears to ‘Abba Father?’