Be not afraid

Fear is something I deal with a lot. I’ve talked about it before and probably will again after today. It’s frustrating dealing with something you want to get rid of so badly but no matter how many times you push, pull, or pray it’ll leave, stupid fear seems happily lodged into place. Lately I seem to have a mix of quick everyday fears and bigger more important ones. I worry about tests and plans and making a schedule. Little things that eventually fade away. And then bigger fears like where I’m going to go to college and what will I do for a job, where will I end up? Those are just some of my fears and I’d guess you probably have some of your own. Fear can very much have a big place in our life.

I’ve gotten way better about being scared of things in the past year. I’m more confident in certain aspects and I’ve learned that God doesn’t want us to fear, he wants us to live. But still, fear is tricky like that, it sneaks in – uninvited and ready to take over hearts. But here’s the thing I’m learning. We are bigger than our fears. And we serve a God so much bigger than us and those fears. And lately as I’ve been searching through others opinions on fear and finding bible verses and passages that go along with it, I’ve realized more than ever how much God does not want us to fear. Isiah 41:10 has been one of my favorites lately and it reads “so do not fear: for I am with you; do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will straighten you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Honestly, I’m not sure there’s a better or more straightforward verse to let you know, that God doesn’t want us to be afraid and he certainly doesn’t want us to be afraid alone. He wants us to trust him and believe that he is bigger than what we are afraid of.

Being honest, I’m not sure fear in our lives will ever truly go away. But I’m learning lately that it’s how we respond to it that makes all the difference. Because in relations to my fears I’ve got two choices. I can live for them or I can live for God. I can let fear make my decisions or I can feel strong enough in myself to make my own. I’m learning it’s ok to embrace our worries in a good way. Running from them, living in them, and simply hating them are natural responses but if we acknowledge them and make our own decisions despite them, I’ve noticed some good results.

I used to feel like I was alone in being afraid. Other people seemed to be confident and certain. But I now know we all struggle and are afraid of something in one way or another. But when we trust in God, the weight fear holds seems a lot less heavy. Giving God our worries instead of carrying them alone is like walking around with a really heavy backpack full of bricks. It weighs you down and wears you out. But imagine giving the backpack to someone so strong he can hold the whole worlds backpacks and never even flinch. That’s God, and he wants your backpack of fear. Seeing you carry it alone pains him because he knows he can help. So, give up the backpack friends.Don’t hold on to hurt, or fear, or feelings of doubt. Give them up to someone who wants them. And who wants you. Fear is strong but you are stronger. And don’t you forget it.

All the love, Annie