Do you agree with this idea? “It’s not that we shouldn’t ever feel fear . . . We’re just not supposed to obey it”. Fear is, without a doubt, a God-given emotion for our protection and safety. It can be a vital and even a life-saving response to both physical and emotional danger or pain. However, in addition to fear caused by real circumstances, we all have imagined, learned or modeled fears that need to be faced honestly and carefully. Where does your mind go when fear creeps subtly into your thoughts in the middle of the night? What is the first thing you do when you hear some very sad or bad news? How do you respond both mentally and emotionally to loss, change, and disappointment? God offers to us, not the elimination of our fears, but the redemption of them.
Perhaps you remember the amazing story in the book of Judges about a man named Gideon. When the Lord first came to him as he was threshing wheat in his father’s field and asked him to “Go and save Israel out of Midian’s hand”, he was clearly surprised and fearful. What did he do with these feelings? He prayed. He admitted his concerns and asked God for the answers. The story doesn’t end there, however. God’s plans for him were not finished. Moving forward, one day at a time, Gideon continued to hear God, to face his own insecurities and anxiety, to pray, to worship and to move forward in faith.
Moments or even minutes of fully feeling the emotion of fear grip us all periodically. It’s not a question of whether you have these experiences, but where do you go in your heart and mind at these times? To cry out and admit this reality is a indicator of faith. To talk with your Heavenly Father, who is always there to listen, is the next step. To experience His peace is the gift He is waiting to give to you. Are you interested?
