God has been talking to me a lot about fear this year, as you can probably tell if you’ve read any of my blog posts from the last few months. I have realized that we tend to do one of three things with fear:
1. Obsess on it, thinking we are protecting ourselves or preventing something from happening by having control (an illusion) and coming up with all the worst-case scenarios. We sometimes believe that knowledge and information will help, but without any power we are devoid of actually keeping our fears at bay and they control us.
2. Ignore it, believing somehow that if we face it head-on that will bring it into reality. Of course, this is similar to hiding from the monsters under the covers—I might not see them, but it wouldn’t do much in the way of protecting me from anything scary. Denial is just lying to ourselves, believing that we will not have to face anything we fear or anything difficult.
3. Entrust and release it to God, believing that He can free us from it and allow us to walk through anything because of His strength within us. This isn’t an attempt at control or denial, but rather trusting Jesus to be with us and walk with us through whatever the fear is. He actually can free us from the fear, rather than continuing to spin round and round in it.
I read a quote recently from a book: “Some so fear the future that they suffocate the present. It’s like committing suicide to avoid being murdered.”
It sounds a lot like much of the Bible, where God reminds us not to yield to fear. Fear dominates and becomes an awful master, controlling our present and causing us to miss much. When we listen to it and allow it to dictate our lives, we think we are preventing something, or controlling the outcome. If we are to be free, we cannot keep yielding to fear. And the reason is not because we are incredibly brave, but because God Himself infuses us to with strength, wisdom and courage.
Are you allowing fear to choke the present so that there is no joy and no life? I want freedom to live in joy and peace, regardless of what’s ahead and what might be scary in my life. We can do hard things, and we can face them because Jesus empowers us to be brave and unafraid as we trust Him with all our fears.
Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10