Fear can be healthy, because it warns us about dangerous situations. For instance, when you're around something harmful, it's normal and healthy to be afraid. That's wisdom! We're afraid of fire, we're afraid of bears, we're afraid of anything we know can cause us harm. That's our body's natural warning to be on guard. Other than healthy fear that warns us to protect ourselves, fear can also grow and begin to control our lives also. It makes us feel powerless and small and helpless. I'm not going to lie to you, truth be told, in a lot of ways we are powerless! Things happen to us that aren't fair, that we can't fix, that we don't know if it will ever heal. Many times we don't know how to come against it.
There's a true story of a little girl who was riding on a crowded elevator with her dad. She was very scared. She couldn't see anything and the elevator ride was bumpy. She fearfully called out, "Pick me up, Daddy, it's scary down here!" Immediately, her dad picked her up and held her in his arms.... and from that perspective, it wasn't scary any more.
Unfortunately, many don't have dads like that. But we do have a heavenly Father! We fight our fear with faith in Him!!!! We are small, we are weak, and in a lot of ways, we are helpless... BUT HE IS NOT! When you feel afraid, call out to your Heavenly Father, ask Him to "Pick you up!"
Fear magnifies your problems... faith & praise magnifies and glorifies your God!
Fear is something that has been something that has held me back from a lot of things in life. It has been frustrating because I know fear has caused me to miss out on some of God's blessings for me. Fear easily consumed my life from a young age, so it became all I knew. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I even realized that my fear was an issue for me in my life.
It was at thirteen that it became obvious (at least to me) that fear was a barrier. My friends were doing things such as talking to boys and hiking and swimming and just enjoying life, meanwhile I couldn't do any of these activities because I was fearful of what might happen if I did them. So when I did my devotionals that night I prayed and asked God why I was so afraid and he gently whispered to me, " My Child, I will never leave you or forsake you. trust in Me." I knew then that God was with me, even in my fears. I was comfortable with that so I stopped at that. Until this last summer.... I went to Mission camp (which is a six year discipleship program I am a part of). It was our first night there and we were unpacking and getting our tents all together, just full of excitement of what was to come out of this week. But this wasn't our first time at mission camp, so we also know we were in for a hard and tiring week.
So I was doing the first vigil (a watch with God) of the week. As I read my Bible and wrote and just prayed, calling out to God, pouring out my heart. I softly asked Him, "Lord, help me break down some barriers this week when it comes to fear." I sat silently with tears pouring down my face already feeling fearful of what the week might bring and the what if's were rapidly filling my mind. And in the midst of this chaos inside of me God spoke, and He said, " Be still and know that I am God(Psalm 46:10)"
In that week God did break some barriers down when it came to my fear, and it wasn't at all easy but so worth it. And while fear is still a problem in my life, it is not crippling to me. And when my fears start to overwhelm me I remember what my Savior has said to me, and I call out to Him. I no longer have to be a slave to fear, because fear doesn't control me. I am a child of God, and God is bigger than all my fears.
