One of the main reasons I stayed at my job so long was fear. I watched coworkers get punished for speaking up. I saw retaliation firsthand. And I thought, if I say something, I’ll lose everything. That fear kept me small.

Fear has a way of stealing your power without you realizing it. Every time I held back my truth, fear was robbing me of my courage. Every time I convinced myself to “just keep quiet,” fear was shaping my choices. I thought I was being wise. But in reality, I was being silenced.

The truth revealed itself when I finally walked away. Leaving didn’t destroy me — it freed me. Retaliation didn’t end me — it pushed me into alignment. And when they withheld my final paycheck illegally, I realized the fear had been misplaced all along. Fear had kept me bound, but it never kept me safe.

God has been reminding me through His word that He has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Fasting has stripped away the things I leaned on for control and reminded me that fear is not a protector — it’s a thief. My devotional readings in Deuteronomy have also shown me how often God told His people, “Do not be afraid.” He was calling them to trust His provision instead of bowing to fear.

Looking back, I see how fear kept me in survival mode. It made me accept things that were beneath me. It made me think I had no options, when really God had already opened doors for me — I just couldn’t see them through the fog of fear.

Walking away restored more than just my time. It restored my power. The power to make decisions from faith instead of fear. The power to use my voice without worrying about retaliation. The power to trust God instead of threats.

Now, I no longer measure my choices by fear. If something only works as long as I’m afraid, then it doesn’t deserve my presence. My life is too valuable to let fear write the script.

Fear will always try to convince me I’m powerless. But I know better now. And I’ll never hand over my power to fear again.