Fear might not be helping as much as you think it is

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you have a great day on Thursday.  I hope that great day turns into a great weekend.  Then I hope that great weekend turns into a great “Holidays.”  In turn, I hope that great holiday season turns into a great new year.  I hope that new year turns into a great year.  Then that year turns into an amazing life.

I hope the same thing for myself too.  (I’m not quite as altruistic as I came across in that first paragraph).

If I can give you just one thing to think about for a moment on this Thanksgiving Day it would be this - Don’t let fear ruin your day.

Take the day off.  Take the day off of fear.

If you had no fear - what would you say today?
If you had no fear - who would you call today?
If you had no fear - what would you quit today?
If you had no fear - what would you start today?

If only life were that simple, right?  It’s hard to not be ruled by the fear within our hearts.  It seems very unresponsible or un-adult to not allow fear in our thinking.  Isn’t fear a good thing to have in some situations?

Seriously, is it?

I’m doubting that.  I’ve experienced loss because of fear.  I’ve experienced defeat because of fear.  I’ve experienced hurt because of fear.  I’ve experienced discouragement, cowardice, and regret because of fear.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever experienced hope because of fear.  I don’t believe I’ve experienced joy because of fear.  I’m pretty sure fear has held me back from some great things that I didn’t get to experience.

Fear has never brought me into, what I would consider, a better life.

I’ve tried to battle fear by playing the “what’s the worse that could happen” game.  You know - the game designed to help us step forward thinking it can’t go all that bad even if I fail.  That’s not a life-giving game.  That’s a defeatist game.  That game is played in fear.

I’ve tried to battle fear by reflecting on what I have done, how strong I am, or other great attributes I think I have.  That game doesn’t help either, because I am instantly reminded of my shortcomings, my past mistakes, and my brokenness.

I can’t battle fear.

However, I can choose something different.  I can choose faith that God is who He says He is and does what He says He will.

I can’t battle my fear, but God can.  I battle fear when I bring my fear to God.  I tell Him how afraid I really am.  (I don’t admit that fear to too many other people).  I tell Him how scared I am of the possible results.  I tell Him when I don’t see a way out or even a pleasant road to walk.

Then I thank Him for what He will do and I get on with my life walking in faith.  I can’t walk in faith unless I admit my fear and hand it over to God.

But I must thank Him for what He will do.  The Bible says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  I am not sure that I can do all things.  But I am completely sure that God can.

So we choose faith in God to battle fear.  This Thanksgiving Day why don’t you thank God for what He will do.  We spend a lot of time thanking God or other people for what they have done.  Why not get proactive about this?

Why not admit the fears that rule us and bring them to God in prayer?  Why not thank Him for leading us out of the rule of fear?

God I thank you for handling all of the situations that are coming up in my life that I am afraid of.  I know that you love me and that you think about me.  I know that you have a power that I don’t understand.  I know that you are supernaturally involved in my life.  Thank you God for the ways that you will lead me that I would never have seen, could not plan for, and would be scared if I knew of them now.  Thank you God that I have already overcome, because you have overcome for me.

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