I’m just popping in to confess something to you. And it ain’t so pretty – but well….whatevs.
I have lots of fears. Some of them irrational. Some of them founded. Some of them bizarre. And frankly, sometimes, I live a little too much in them.
Like, I’m terrified of a house fire, but I don’t own a fire extinguisher. What’s up with that? I’m scared my kids will get hurt because I’m not paying attention, but let’s face it - I’m obsessively paying attention (because of the fear and all). I’m terrified my kids will be hit by a car. Like in our own driveway. So I’m constantly freaking out and yelling things like “FREEZE” and “GET OVER HERE”. Totally confusing for them. I have a whole colony of fears for spiders, bugs, and creepy crawlies. Yes, I said “colony”. Don’t even attempt to talk me out of it. I hate them. And I may or may not be one of those people who constantly looks over their shoulder, just in case, to suss out my surroundings. I can neither confirm nor deny it. I’m only saying that I *might” be one of those people. I am scared to death about the state of our economy, our safety, our government, and even our fellow citizens. Will I even have retirement after all this mess?
And then our pastor spoke on the subject of fear. And I was really convicted about living my life that way. And even if I can’t change it overnight, I do so want to work on it. Because I don’t think we’re called to live our lives this way. And I know I am not the only one who has these kinds of repetitive and somewhat consuming fears.
Here is a great and encouraging quote from Stuart Briscoe’s “Hearing God’s Voice Above the Noise” in reference to the book of Haggai in the Bible – if you haven’t read either, I can highly recommend both:
“Down through the centuries people have lived to a greater or lesser degree in fear. They fear the future, the present, and the consequences of the past. They fear the Communists or they fear a recession. They fear what is going to happen to their children. Many tend to live in a constant state of dread. They are emotionally distraught. Haggai has a message for such people – and for all of us. If we learn to fear God in the right way, there is nothing else to fear.”
Am I prepared to trust God, despite my fears? And more importantly, have I ever truly learned to fear God and nothing else?
I don’t even want to answer that.
Lord, help me to trust You with my anxious thoughts and runaway fears!
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of the darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains” – Psalm 107:13-14
