Fear. Blech! That word brings up all sorts of gut-wrenching feelings and sensations. Fear captivates our thinking, holding us hostage - holding us in bondage. Fear involves the unknown. The Bible says, "fear has torment." Torment comes in terms of two little words: "what" and "if."
What if I lose my job? What if I make the wrong decision? What if I choose the wrong profession? What if I choose the wrong person? What if the doctor's report comes back with a bad prognosis? Two little words, yet so powerful: "what if."
I still struggle with some areas of fear. I'm generally pretty good about burying those fears under the veneer of my public persona, but there are still things that grind in my guts and affect my ability to focus and can even manifest in physical feelings like an upset stomach. What if...
Let's go a bit deeper. What if God had my back? What if the plans He has for me were to prosper me, to give me a future and a hope? What if I made a decision (not a sinful one) and knew that God would synergize ALL of it together for my good? What if I knew that because the Spirit of God is in me, that the majority of my faith-based decisions were destined for success and not failure? What if I knew I would have God's strength to not only face, but flourish in the situations in front of me that I know will be difficult?
What if GOD? We fear when we lack faith. We fear when we lack trust in the God who birthed us, sent His Son to die for us and pay for every blessing that will certainly sustain us every single day of our lives. Joan and I have faced many fear-increasing situations in our lives - so many that God has brought us through and yet it begs the question: why do you still get fearful? Because I'm still in process.
There are situations that used to send us into a frenzy of fear that do not sway us. Why? We've seen God's faithfulness. We KNOW that He's got it! I sometimes get fearful in "new" situations; circumstances where I haven't seen God's faithfulness: our kids growing up and moving out, new levels of church leadership and dynamics, some newer areas of finances that some of us have had to deal with in this new economy. Still begs the question, though: if God has been faithful in all the others, why would He not be in this one? The answer is obvious. "I've got this," God says. "You can trust Me. There's not a single instance (even a sinful one) where I will not be with you to guide you and even deliver you."
Two little words: "what if" can bring terror, bondage and at worst being frozen in fear to the point of doing nothing or running from His plan. Do you know what's beautiful? Two little words that Jesus spoke: "Fear" and "not." Fear not. It's a command. It's also a confession. Fear... NOT! I love the tender words Jesus spoke right after them. "Fear not, little flock."
Oh Jesus, You know me so well! How I'm inclined to fear and be tormented with all the what-if's of life. It affects how I think, how I act, how I treat others, how I make decisions, how I live! That's not abundant life. Abundant life trusts the God Who gave us everything and is trying to convince us that He will not ever leave us and, as the old song says, "He's got the whole world, in His hands." I'm in there, too and there's no safer place in the universe than in the hollow of His hands. So, fear? NOT!
