This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Everybody Always" by Bob Goff. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Why shouldn’t you be afraid when you encounter difficult circumstances? What is Bob Goff’s example of overcoming fear?
In his book Everybody, Always, Bob Goff discusses why you have nothing to fear if you have faith in God. He describes an example of when he fearlessly took on the witch doctors in Uganda despite the locals’ fear of them.
Keep reading to learn why you have nothing to fear when you have faith.
You Have Nothing to Fear
There’s nothing to fear when you encounter difficult circumstances or people in your life. God told all His disciples to “be not afraid,” and He meant it. Often, you receive the most grace and understanding about yourself when you go through difficult times. But if you don’t have the nerve or courage to move forward during struggles, you’ll miss out on all the good that follows.
Bob Goff does charitable work in Uganda, part of which is providing legal services for people in need. On one trip, he met a chief justice and learned about a frightening aspect of Ugandan life. For more than a century, the Ugandan people have lived in fear of witch doctors. The witch doctors believe that the flesh of children has magical properties, and they perform ceremonies using this flesh. To get the flesh, they abduct children.
A witch doctor has never stood trial in Uganda for their crimes. The people who’ve lost children are too afraid of the witch doctors’ powers to press charges, and the lawyers and judges are too afraid to prosecute. When Bob met with the chief justice, he asked if he could be part of a witch doctor trial if one ever happens, and the justice agreed.
The next time Bob visited Uganda, he learned about a 13-year-old girl who’d been in prison for two years awaiting trial. She was accused of kidnapping after a witch doctor tricked the girl into bringing her a baby. The girl saved the baby when she discovered the witch doctor was not the baby’s mother, but she was arrested. Nothing had happened to the doctor.
Bob took the case and was able to get the girl released from prison. He saw it as a warning to the witch doctors that he was not afraid of them. He felt in his heart that, one day, they would try and convict one of these witch doctors. And when that time came, he would not be afraid. He was following God’s plan, so there was nothing to fear.
What if you weren’t ever afraid again? You will experience moments when you’re lost, confused, and anxious. But if you’re honest with God and have faith in His love, you’ll understand that something good waits on the other side of your courage. When you become love with God, you no longer have anything to fear.
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Bob Goff's "Everybody Always" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Everybody Always summary :
- How to live your life like Jesus lived his
- Why you need to open yourself up to God's love and give love to others
- How to deepen your faith by focusing on love rather than showing that you "agree" with God