Breaking The Fear Cycleنموونە

A Different Life

How would life look different if we no longer held on to fears about the future? We would live more fully, more freely, and more joyfully in whatever now brings. We would take captive thoughts that bind us to a tomorrow we cannot control and instead focus on the today we have to live. We would savor our tasks big and small and let go of the minor stresses of life. We would be less controlling, less manipulative, and less opinionated. We would dream gently and trust fully. 

In all of these things we will never be perfect. We will still fail, we will still fear, and we will still worry. But we will not remain there like we used to! We have a way paved out in Scripture, breathed out in our souls. What used to be weeks, months, or years of intense fretting will now become minutes, hours, or days. When we are slammed with all the fear that used to overtake us, we will brace ourselves and turn boldly back to the truths we have learned. We will still hurt, still have pain, and still mourn loss, but we will stand strong with hope and find comfort in peace. We will remember what God has promised us and know how to get there. 

When you are lost in the dark, when things happen, when fears come, and when you don’t know what to do, may you simply take one step of faith at a time. May you reach back into these truths with courage, and may God’s Word wash over you anew every time. 

I pray that you will take heart. I pray that as you take time to reflect on what you fear and why you fear it, you will remember that God does not leave us nor forsake us. I know it is not fun to stare your fears in the face, but my prayer for you is that it might be less scary than you imagine. I pray that as you go forward, you will see how marvelously God makes up for our weaknesses. Though we may cower in fear and trembling, God is there in all his glory to lift us up. 

How has this week of devotions changed how you think about fear? The next time a fear creeps into your mind, how will you respond?