Fear, Don't Mess with Me!

"Keep your fears to yourself; share your courage with others."  -Robert Louis Stevenson

We're all afraid of something. Fear is one thing we all have in common. Our world is filled with plenty of things to fear. There is sickness, famine, political unrest, and war, to name just a few. And, yes, these things scare me, too.

On top of all of this, we each have personal fears that affect us directly. Things like the fear of losing our jobs, our homes, failing health, acceptance by others, and aging, keep many of us up at night, and rightly so. Oh, some might say that they aren't afraid of anything. But, I don't believe it. They're probably just better at hiding their fear(s) than the rest of us.

Yes, many of us try taking precautions against some of our fears, such as taking out insurance policies, putting bars on our doors and windows, and installing alarm systems on our automibles, or moving to a safer neighborhood. And why do we do this? We do this because of fear.

No matter which way you turn, fear is always there. There's just no avoiding it completely in our lives. So how can we handle our fears? After all, so many things that I mentioned above are simply out of our hands. This, of course, doesn't mean that God has abandoned us. Nor, does it mean that we should sit passively, waiting for some kind of sweeping miracle by God that cures us of all of our fears.

Even great people in the Bible had some pretty shaky beginnings due to fear. For example, God gave Moses a huge assignment in asking him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. What did Moses say? "God, I can't do this...I can't even talk! I'm nobody! Why choose me?" Gideon was given the assignment by God to lead His people in battle, overcome the enemy, and win for the Lord. What did Gideon say? "God, I can't do this...I can't even march. I'm only a farmer! Why would you choose me?"

Probably the best example of someone overcoming their fear would be Mary, mother of Jesus. God chose her for the biggest, most important assignment of all: to give birth to the Son of God; to raise Him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to train and teach Him in the ways of God.

Do you think she was afraid? I'm sure she was, but her faith was stronger. When God told her, "Fear not, Mary...I have chosen you," she, in simple faith, surrender and trust, became the mother of our Lord.

What is the common bond in these examples? It's God. He was there with Moses, Gideon, and Mary. And, He is always there with us in our darkest, scariest moments, too. In Exodus 14:14, Moses told the Israelites that, "The Lord will fight for you..." Because God knows our innermost thoughts, He knows there will be things in this world that will frighten us. We need God in our corner, helping us fight through our fears.

Author, C. JoyBell C. said, “Don't be afraid of your fears. They're not there to scare you. They're there to let you know that something is worth it.” There's much truth in her words.

When we face our fears, with the knowledge of God's comforting presence, we see our fears not as something meant to paralyze or immobilize us, but as a signpost telling us that something life-changing awaits just around the bend. As the believers of old, go on, step forward...take that chance. God is with you...always.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7; Isaiah 41:10; Proverbs 29:25; Psalm 56:3-4; Joshua 1:9

Prayer: Dear God, please help me confront my fears today; let me walk right up to them and look them square in the eye. Let me show them that they can't control me any longer. My life is in You, not in my fears; I refuse to waste one more day in fear; when I have a beautiful, God-given life to live. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Claudette