Am I hanging out with the right friends?
Am I with the right guy?
Am I in the right career path?
Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?
Am I saying what I'm supposed to be saying?
Am I doing enough?
Am I enough?
Fear cripples the big dreams and loving heart that God has gifted me with. Fear prevents me from living out the very person I am designed to be. Fears breeds doubt and anxiousness. These are not Holy or good. These are not of God.
I've constantly been having to turn back to God's promises for this season I'm in...
"do not fear; only believe." Mark 5:36
"casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
"these things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be full." John 5:11
A simple Thesaurus search of "fear" gives so much insight into this topic and what fears gives me...and what it keeps me from.
FEAR JESUS
anxiety............................peace
doubt..............................faith
panic..............................calm
worry.............................assurance
timid..............................courage
uneasiness......................confidence
dread.............................hope
angst.............................comfort
It's pretty clear all the good I miss when I worship the idol of fear. Fear is opposite of Jesus and all He offers. Fear is against the nature of Jesus. Fear was hung on the Cross of Jesus, and when I choose to let fear take hold of my heart, I say that I don't need His death. Jesus gives so much, but His offer is an invitation. It is a comfort to know that realistically, my future is just fine. Though it seems far off and unsure, it will come and probably have more good than bad. I will look back on days such as this and those fears will be answered and I will realize my stupidity for worrying.
BUT.... those fears will only be replaced with new fears unless I get to the heart of the issue. My future is not my answer. Knowing that one day everything will be okay is not my comfort. Christ and Christ alone is my answer...my comfort, peace, confidence, hope, courage, and assurance.
The rest for my anxious heart is not that I have a future, but that Christ is my future. My fear is not erased in knowing that I have great things ahead, but in knowing that Christ goes before me.
Christ Jesus hung with the weight of my fear one dark day on the Cross. Jesus suffered with full knowledge in His heart that I would be writing this and I would be desperately needing His death to give my heart new life. Christ conquered sin and the finality of death so He could prove His capability and faithfulness in overcoming my fear. In fact, Christ doesn't just offer to take away my fear, but He invites me to replace it with Himself. All idols must be replaced. We can either choose what to replace the idol with or it will be chosen for us. We will worship something. Jesus offers to let that be Him. He doesn't demand I just get over my fear or move on, but He comes alongside me with so many blessings, so much understanding, and unexplainable grace.
Fear has no power over Him...and when I turn to Him, it has no power over me either.
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