When your knees shimmy like Jello and your palms get clammy with fear, the best thing is to remember two truths.

The truth of who God is.

The truth of who you are in Christ.

Here’s a story of fear to faith.

A Story of Fear

Lisa (not her real name) had three huge fears: thunderstorms, bees, and flying. Each fear interfered with her life.

1.  Bees buzzing by outside trash kept her and her little ones inside.

2. Her fear of flying meant she’d see her mom only when the older woman boarded a plane in Dallas and flew north.

3. When a storm rumbled in the Midwest, Lisa fixated her attention on Weather.com and her thoughts darkened:

What if. . .

“What if my husband doen’t make it home from work.”

“What if hail the size of oranges bomb the roof.”

“What if a tornado kills us.”

Have you had similar “what if’s”? Similar fears?

Lisa’s fears — while sound like phobias (or specific fears) — told of her heart condition. Her faith was weak. She believed in God but sometimes didn’t believe God would protect her and help her. And if God decided to take her home to heaven in a thunderstorm her Creator knows best?

Right? God knows best. Is this a hard truth from you to swallow? When it hits your home? Your family?

A Story of Faith

You face fearful times. I do too. So does your friend who seems to have it all together.

When my husband and I found out we couldn’t make babies together, I got busy. Busyness hid my fear and disappointment. My husband needed time to process the diagnosis too. He watched gobs of sports on TV.

I cannot explain how but stronger than my fear was my faith. That God had a reason. That he’d get us through. That Steve and I would be parents.

What helped me during this time: reading the Bible and filling my home and car with praise music.

Especially dear to me were the words of Psalm 139. Pure comfort, a reminder God is who he says he is and he loves me just as I am. A scaredy cat like me desires security and trust and a big, safe hug from a big big God.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go to the heavens, you are there;

If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

If I settle on the far side of the sea,

Even there your hand will guide me,

Your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light will become night around me,”

Even the darkness will not be dark to you;

The night will shine like the day,

For darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:7-12, NIV

Many things stir up fear in us. What are you facing now? A scary health condition? Nastiness from a coworker? Misunderstanding in your church? A son or daughter hooked on drugs? Something worse?

May I help?

No Easy 1-2-3

You and I can rest assured that God is who He says he is every moment of our lives.

As believers, we can trust that in the midst of suffering, God is in control and he is good. What we go through is no surprise to him.

Looking for an easy 1-2-3 to believing God is who he says he is? You’ll discover it in a flowering faith. The circumstances of life rock our worlds. We may doubt. In our fear, we may grumble, even yell, at our Creator.

The amazing news is you can have real hope for your real hurts. Why? God IS your hope, and he loved you before you took your very first breath, and he loves you now. Whatever you’ve done, wherever you’ve been, he loves you. Now take a step of faith. One step, then another.

Question: Do you believe God loves you just as you are?

Resource

Counseling: If you’d like to learn more on overcoming fear, contact me. May our God continue to bless you, as I know He will.

Sharing Hope with Your Heart,