What do you know about fear?
I know too much about it. It’s festered and oozed into many different areas of my life. My relationship with God, family, friends, the church, and my significant other.
Fear is the unseen force that poisons my thoughts, silences my lips and suffocates my soul. Fear inflames my insecurities, traps me in worst-case scenarios and follows me no matter where I go. Its shadow haunts me, scaring me out of doing what God is telling me to do and speaking honestly.
It colors my words, actions and thoughts a dismal grey like the winter skies, dark and heavy.
Fear makes me cling to a false sense of control and rips the rug from under my feet at the worst possible moments.
Fear makes me bitter and resentful toward people who care about me. It tells me lies about them, such as:
“They’re just saying that because they feel like they have to. They don’t really mean it.”
Or “they’re annoyed by you because you’re too much to handle. You’re a burden to them.”
And the one always hits me like a sucker punch to the gut—
“They don’t want you.”
Now, what do you know about God?
Psalms 17:3 says that God probes our hearts and examines our thoughts night and day— so it’s impossible to hide fear from Him!
He is our rock, shield, fortress and stronghold, refuge and ever-present help in trouble.
He is endlessly forgiving, endlessly loving and endlessly faithful.
He is our Father, our friend and our king.
He is our pursuer, a lover of our souls and the only one who can make us feel totally and completely accepted and appreciated.
And the one that always knocks the breath out of my lungs:
God wants me. God wants you. God wants to fill every God-sized hole in the hearts of His children across the globe.
God is good, holy and pure— and He longs to make you the same.
But do we really trust God? Do we truly believe He has our best interests in mind? Do we trust that the changes He makes in us will last? Do we have faith that He will provide for our future needs and wants?
The key to answering these questions is often as simple as remembering. His fingerprints can be found all over every good thing under the sun.
Who are the people He has brought into your life that speak love over you? What are situations and scenarios where God showed up in surprising and unexpected ways? What decisions has He pushed you to make that have brought glory to Him? Where has He called you out on the waters and helped you traverse the depths with His strength and power?
God is more than able to help us transcend our trials and tribulations. He can transform your reactions, responses, habits and character. He can create in you a new heart. He can restore your sight and give you new eyes to see our broken world.
Ephesians 3:20 claims that He is “able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”
Do you believe it?
If God is calling you to have fearless feet and surrender your life at His altar- don’t hesitate.
Don’t worry about how God will deliver you or how He will provide. He’s calling you to fall to your knees and strengthen your faith muscles.
Let this verse be your motto this week:
“For God did not give us a Spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline.”