“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (ESV)
Ever find yourself running into one of your toughest fears? We all have them. We try to avoid them. We excuse them away and offer them to someone else. Why? Because we fear our fears. And the very thought of them can send us hiding under the bed. What’s your greatest fear? Public speaking, heights, ocean waves, or confrontation?
How do you handle you fears? Avoidance, denial or perhaps stepping outside your comfort zone clothed in God’s confidence. Wow, I wish that was the way I always responded when my fear buttons were pushed, but I don’t. My normal go to line is “let someone else do it.”
Sound familiar? Problem is when we don’t face our fears, they continue to dominate us and rob us of the joy of fully trusting God. Spiritual growth is stunted when we don’t exercise our faith in God – leaning into His ability to empower us despite our weaknesses. Staying safe positions us to look back in regret wondering what would have happened if we had only trusted God.
Amazing thing about our God is that He doesn’t take “no” lightly. He continues to offer us chance after chance to step out on the waters with Him. Why? Releasing and overcoming our fears demonstrate our dependence on Him. Our faith walk hinges on “yes” moments when we choose to cling to God rather than our fears.
Faced with an overwhelming fear, I chose to allow emotions to camouflage the very character of my God. I kept moving forward with my abilities, until they ran out. God gently picked me up and reminded me He was all about the details. He played the memory tape showcasing how He had orchestrated every detail ahead of me. My fears were false when measured up against the truth of who my God is – the One who goes before us, beside us and behind us – He is faithful and true!
“Father, help us to lay our fears down and trust confidently in You.”
For His Glory
Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life
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