Becoming Fearless
It’s Christmastime again and money’s tight. For you too? Know God wants you to conquer your fears. In fact you are a conqueror now.
A few summers ago, I took a dive. Literally.
I’m not afraid of heights. I’m afraid of pain. This day the water beckoned. I thought, if I can do this, this dive, then I’ll become fearless.
You gotta start somewhere, right?
Climbing the ladder in my floral tankini, eyes wide, heart pumping, I reached the top. In all my 47 years, I had never never never dove off the high dive. Jumped, yes. Head first, no.
This day I decided to face my fear that I’d rotate on the way down, land flat on my back, and die. Okay, not die. But hurt bad, real bad, from the sting and from embarrassment.
I hate to confess this fear and another one: The crazy economy rocked me like a boat on the Sea of Galilee in a storm. I took my eyes off Jesus.
Many nights I woke at 12:01. Always 12:01. An anxious 12:01.
As I toed the edge of the diving board, I looked down and wasn’t afraid. The water actually looked close. I bent my knees, stretched my arms overhead, and let myself fall.
A new problem: When I sliced the water, my bottoms slid.
As yanked up the cloth while kicking to the surface, exhilaration filled my heart. I hit the air, breathed deep, and knew my fear had evaporated.
This, this day a new pattern emerge to face my fears: disappointing people, rejection, even trusting God to take of my family finances. He clothes the wildflowers, right? And feeds sparrows? He keeps the earth spinning and made the stars. The gospel is victory. The gospel is love.
You are a conqueror, present tense. Listen:
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Question: What is one of your fears? I’ll pray for you.
With Joy Overflowing!
it seems that i seem to function in what i see not what God sees; it is my view is not focused on my position in christ but my actions seem to dictate that I am what I do or don’t do.