This is a challenging time for us. We have made commitments that stretch us thinner than usual and that challenge us daily, weekly and monthly in uncomfortable ways — yet we have made those commitments because we decided together as a family that they are worth it. Since making those commitments, we have faced many unexpected challenges that have tested our resolve and our commitment. And a few times when life has recently kicked us in the face, my wife has had to remind me or I have had to remind her that it is all going to be okay and that God is still in control. And I know that my daughter is seeing first hand how we handle these situations — that we aren’t always strong, that we don’t always get it right, that things can be stressful or scary, and that we don’t always trust God as faithfully as we should.
My daughter and I love riding Rollercoaster and thrill rides together. And some of the best rides are the ones that still scare us. Choosing to face that fear each time, knowing that there will be fear but that there will also be the thrill of a new experience together is fun within the safety of a ride designed and tested by skilled engineers and properly maintained by theme park operators. In a similar way, choosing to face fear in life offers an opportunity to experience life’s opportunities more abundantly — if we are confident and trusting that God is with us and will not abandon us.
In everything we do, there is a chance of failure — but even in failure there is an opportunity to learn, grow and improve. And there are other common fears of things like fear of abandonment, death, the unknown, physical harm, rejection, embarrassment/ humiliation, etc. But for each of these fears, we all deal with situations in life at some point that offer fear as an obstacle (or even fear as a choice).
Fear does not have to be our default setting. Or even if fear is our default setting or first reaction in a situation, we do not have to let it remain in control. Fear is not always irrational — we will all die, we will all fail, we will all be rejected — we must accept reality when it comes to these things. We will not always have a villain to name, and we will not always understand a clear reason behind why things happen a certain way.
For some good additional reading on fear, see this article: Identifying the Three Fundamental Fears: Death, Abandonment, and Failure by Jim Dubos https://stenzelclinical.com/identifying-the-three-fundamental-fears-death-abandonment-and-failure/#:~:text=Fear%20of%20the%20unknown%20is,Abandonment%20or%20Fear%20of%20Failure
Jim says about fear:
This is why God is not and never will be obsolete. He will never leave you, His love is not earned, and He has conquered death. Death, rejection, and failure will happen, but you do not have to live in fear of them.
Jim Dubos, Identifying the Three Fundamental Fears: Death, Abandonment, and Failure
What have we chosen today — choosing to our fears or facing them?
What have we not handed over to Him?
What areas of our lives and our challenges have we not trusted Him with fully?
Lord, forgive us for our lack of trust in you. Heal our foolish unbelief. Help us to be courageous and strong in you, especially not just in ourselves. Do not allow the enemy to steal from us by way of fear. May it be so clearly evident to all that it is foolish to not trust you, that you do not fail, and that you do not abandon. Amen.
Deuteronomy 31:6 AMP
[6] Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble in dread before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.”
Harold J. Ballinger 