fear
/ˈfir/
noun – an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Synonyms: angst, anxiety, concern, despair, dismay, dread, panic, scare, unease, agitation, disquietude, distress, faintheartedness, foreboding, fright, funk, misgiving, phobia, qualm, trepidation, uneasiness, worry….

Fear….

It’s become a common topic in recent days! So I’ve been thinking about it….

I actually don’t think it was until I became a parent that I really understood what fear was. The depth of love that we feel for our children seems commensurate with the immediate fear we feel when we realize their little hand isn’t holding ours in a crowd or when they are lying in a hospital bed with a devastating diagnosis. Even the “what ifs” – the things that haven’t actually happened, but we imagine could happen can flood us with fear.

All of those parental instincts to protect our kids have been put to the test in our family, and though I would have traded my suffering for theirs in a heartbeat, it wasn’t my choice. Instead I learned that sometimes my faith grew deepest when it had to face my fears. Yes, I’m a Christian and love God with all my heart. Yes, I believe God is good and can do all things. Yes, I stand on God’s promises and place my trust in Jesus. Yes…yes…yes!

But I also know that I am oh so very human, even when my faith is strong. It’s said that fear is spoken of nearly 500 times in the Bible….I don’t know for certain, but if that’s even close to accurate that should tell us something about how God understands our tendancy to look at the size of the waves above our heads, even if we believe he will be with us in the storm. So He really, really gets us… ♥

We are experiencing events for which none of us have a real frame of reference, legitimate things to be concerned about, things we don’t understand and really can’t control. For some it’s a time of tremendous “bring it on” faith! But for others it may feel like the hand of that little one is slipping away in the crowd, and the thought of what’s next can be really freightening….

So this is what I’ve learned about fear….and about faith; sometimes they actually can exist in the same moment.  I can’t imagine David wasn’t trembling when he faced Goliath, yet he stood up to him knowing no matter how strong or tall or terrifying he was, God was greater.

Fear….and also faith.

I’m not suggesting we entertain our worry and give into fear, nor that the peace of God can’t invade the darkest places and calm our anxious hearts and minds. I just want to reassure us that feeling worried, anxious and even fearful in these crazy, uncharted times doesn’t mean we’ve lost our faith and have somehow failed as a Christian.  We can still stand strong, live with courage and trust God to meet every need, including helping us to manage our fears. And having wrestled a few fear giants myself, I can assure you that God is bigger!

Hang on through these uncertain days and don’t get distracted by all the noise that would feed our fear. Maybe we should find at least a few of those hundreds of verses where the Bible talks about fear, and face each new day with renewed faith, not in what we see or how we feel, but in God’s promise to be present with us.

God’s got this….and God’s got us.

Choosing faith over (and occasionally even during) fear,

Shellie ♥

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” ~ Psalm 56:3

I Will Fear No More