What Are You Afraid of?

Fear takes on many forms and expresses itself in many ways. What are you afraid of? Not being good enough? Not being loved? Losing what you have? Never having it? The expression of fear depends on the individual. Does it make you angry and aggressive? Or are you timid and insecure? Does it make you confrontational or wanting to please? Do you make unwise or impulsive decisions without thinking them through or do you get stuck and not move at all? Are you super critical of yourself or do you reserve that criticism for others? We all have our own reaction and response to the fear we hide inside.

Fear based living is exhausting and unnecessary. But until we recognize that a lot of what we put ourselves and others through is based in fear we will continue to inflict pain on ourselves and others. And much like Job 3:25 (paraphrased) “what we fear most will come upon us”. Fear warps relationships because it can never be satisfied. No one you are in relationship with can calm your fears 100% of the time because fear has an insatiable appetite. And no one person can ever fill that hole. Which leaves you and those you are in relationship with disappointed, frustrated and in some cases emotionally and physically sick. What God wants us to realize is that this low-level of living is not how He intends us to live. Jesus said:

John 10:10 NIV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

This fear was addressed and taken care of at the Cross. Jesus takes away all fear. Fear of judgement, fear of not being good enough, fear of not being loved etc. Because all that we are is directly and forever attached to who He is because of what He did at the Cross. Look, no one can love you like Him, no one gets you like Him, no one can forgive you like Him, no one accepts you like Him. When you get that and I mean really get that fear can’t survive. Sure, it will raise its head from time to time to get you distracted and off course but our job as free-willed human beings is not to give in or succumb to that deception. Who you are, who you really are, is who you are through Christ. You are good enough, special and loved. So start acting like it. Don’t short change yourself or your life with low-level thinking. It wastes time and energy and it kills steals and destroys your relationships and your health. It slows your momentum and stifles your creativity which cheats those with whom you come in contact from benefiting from all of who you were meant to be. God has a plan and purpose for you and it all centers around the love He has for you and others. We are all guilty of getting caught up so to speak. Fear settles into the belief that we and others have to be perfect. We are not perfect and we are no longer guilty thanks to Jesus. We are free to be anything and everything we were meant and called by Him to be, in the way that only we can do it. Lets get out of the shallow end and jump into the deep end. Don’t worry about not getting it right. Jesus is there to catch us when we fall. Just keep trying. Don’t quit.

We are all a work in progress. The Bible says:

Philippians 1:6 NIV

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Fear based living is isolating and lonely even if you are surrounded by others. Let us resolve to allow God to do His perfect work in us. Our confidence comes from Christ. Let go of the fear and anxiety that God never meant for you to carry. You were never supposed to carry around your baggage or the baggage of others. Jesus says:

Matthew 11:27-30 NIV

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Sometimes the hardest thing for us to do is to “let go and let God” but it is the only thing to do. You are not doing yourself or anyone else any favors when you proudly try to handle your fear on your own. Because what inevitably happens is your fear ends up calling the shots. It controls and colors how you see the world and your place in it. And it gives you the illusion of control which is truly only an illusion. Recognize your fear triggers and your reaction to them. Stop trying to stay in control and manage your fear, just control the urge to think, feel and act out of fear. We have free will and must use it wisely. Trust what Jesus accomplished at the Cross and live your life accordingly. Allow Him to fill the empty places that only He is equipped to fill.