Interested in going on a short-term ministry trip but struggling with fear? You’ll find some helpful thoughts on today’s blogpost.
Check out Linda’s other blogs and her new book Grandmas’s Letters From Africa. Congratulations, Linda! You set a great example for many.
www.grandmaslettersfromafrica.blogspot.com
Fear is a four-letter word. Imagine the difference if the human race could strike it once-for-all from its vocabulary. Alas – that’s not gonna happen so long as we’re warm and breathing. There’s an enemy prowling about whose desire is to prevent us from being all and experiencing all that God has planned for us. And fear is one of his major tactics.
I’m constantly receiving emails from women whose lives are impacted by fear. They’re afraid of being alone so they marry a dud or stay in an abusive relationship. They’re afraid of rejection, so they carry burdens of secrecy and guilt over something that’s happened in their past (usually an abortion). They’re afraid of failure, so they refuse to try new ventures and ultimately miss the joy of seeing God do the impossible through them.
Even though I wrote a book about moving beyond fear, I still struggle with it occasionally. Thankfully, it doesn’t consume or paralyze me anymore as in the past. Now I recognize it when it rears its ugly head. And I immediately do something about it. Here’s my simple secret:
I say, “The Lord is with me. I will trust and not be afraid.”
Call it a mantra, if you wish. Repeating this several times works for me. It washes away the negative yuck and reminds me that God is in control. He holds me in His hand, and the enemy cannot reach me there. How can I be so sure?
Psalm 23:4 says, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” I base my confidence on this principle and promise. God’s presence is with me 24/7 because His Holy Spirit lives in me. Even when I go through really tough stuff – the darkest valley – I need not be afraid because He is there.
I think it’s interesting to note that the psalmist said, “I will not be afraid.” His heart may have been pounding out of his chest sometimes, but he made a deliberate choice to not let fear control him. It’s as though he grabbed hold of his thoughts and said, “Listen up. You’re not heading down that path. You’re going to stay here, right here….planted firmly, rooted deeply in the promise of God’s presence.”
That’s what I do. And it works. Fear cannot master my emotions anymore. It will not control my thoughts and impact my actions. It simply has no place in me because God rules.
How about you? What do you do when fear stares you in the face?
Ask a dozen people what brings true happiness and you’ll probably get a dozen different answers. Here are a few common replies:
There’s no problem with experiencing happiness with any or all of the above, but trouble comes if we depend on them for happiness. Circumstances change, people change, the weather changes, the world changes. If these things on which we base our happiness change, then our emotional state will go through an upheaval, too.
So where can true happiness be found? In obeying God’s Word. I know, I know, not everyone will agree. Some folks feel God is determined to take away our fun and following His rules is restrictive. I felt that way in my teen years, but I was wrong!
Psalm 119: 35 says, “Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.” It doesn’t say, “Give me a nice house in a nice neighborhood, for that is where my happiness is found.” Neither does it say, “Give me good health until the day I die, for that is where my happiness is found,” nor “Give me a family that knows how to function properly, for that is where my happiness is found.”
Nope. Happiness is found when we do life God’s way. That doesn’t mean we’ll never have problems. It doesn’t mean we won’t take the fallout from someone else’s issues. It doesn’t mean we’ll never suffer sorrow or pain or loss. But doing life God’s way guarantees freedom from guilt. It gives us the strength to face and move beyond our fears. It gives us peace in the midst of hard times. And it guarantees joy that comes from unbroken fellowship with Jesus.
Where is happiness found? Not in anything we can see or touch. It comes from doing life God’s way. Let’s make v. 34 our prayer: “God, give me understanding and I will obey your law; I will put it into practice with all my heart.”
Have you ever based your happiness on anything other than walking according to God’s commands? If so, what was it, and what happened?
The assumptions we make are critical. For instance, they have the potential of landing us in trouble if we assume incorrectly. Here’s an example. I fly to a lot of different destinations using various airlines. Each airline has rules to follow. British Airways allows missionary fares to check three 50-pound bags. If I buy tickets to fly on a different airline and pack my suitcases assuming they offer the same deal as BA, I’ll either have to pay an extra fee at the airport or leave my third suitcase behind.
If I speak with a woman whose first language is not English and see her nod her head, I assume she understands what I said. That could be a wrong assumption on my part. (I know this from experience – I nodded my head a lot when we first moved to Nepal!)
If I leave a voice mail for someone, I assume she received it. When she doesn’t acknowledge my call, I might assume she doesn’t want to respond to my offer or she doesn’t care. That might be a wrong assumption….after all, maybe someone in her family accidentally deleted the message and forgot to tell her about it, or perhaps she was away from home for a few days.
Assuming the worst about a possible scenario often means we waste a lot of time and energy entertaining negative thoughts and what-ifs. But assuming correctly is a whole ‘nother story. Take a look at Abraham’s example.
Hebrews 11:17-19 says, “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, though God had promised him ‘Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.’ Abraham assumed that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again…”
Abraham was being asked to do something that defied human comprehension. Sacrificing his son made no sense whatsoever. He could have assumed that God had flipped out and refused to obey. Instead, he assumed that God was in control and would take responsibility for the outcome. That assumption gave him the courage to trust and obey God. Sure enough, God came through.
When we’re walking in fellowship with God, we can assume He’s in control of every detail of our lives. We need not fear because He is sovereign. We need not be anxious because He is all-powerful and all-wise. We need only to remember His promises and assume that He’ll be faithful to keep them because He cannot lie.
Assuming that God is able to do the impossible is life-changing. Imagine the impact around the world if every believer correctly assumed this truth and acted upon it!
How would your life change if you maintained the same attitude as Abraham?
God’s ways are soooo not our natural ways. Just look at the contrast…
God: be content Self: strive for more
God: forgive Self: get even
God: wait Self: get it now
God: give up your rights Self: demand them
God: surrender Self: resist
The latter example popped off the page at me this morning as I read Jeremiah 38:19. King Hezekiah had asked Jeremiah to tell him what the future held for his city. When Jeremiah gave him the news – “surrender to the Babylonians and all will be well with you” – the king adamantly refused. What was his reply? “But I’m afraid to surrender” (38:19).
How classic is that? How many times have I felt God’s nudge to give or forgive or get involved in some way. Rather than obeying Him, I’ve cringed and rationalized and made excuses. Why? Bottom line – fear.
I’m afraid to surrender completely to God. I’m afraid of the what-ifs – What if He asks more of me than I want to give? What if things don’t turn out the way I wish? What if life takes an unwanted detour? And so I stand before the all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God and say, “Surrender to You? I don’t think so – that’s too scary. I’ll do life my way instead.”
My heart breaks at the thought of how I’ve affronted this One who sent His Son to die on my behalf. Each time I’ve refused to surrender to His commands, I’ve declared myself wiser than He. My attitude and actions have proven once again that my knowledge of Him lacks depth and intimacy.
Can you relate? Have you refused to obey God’s nudges? If so, ask Him to examine your heart and show you if fear is holding you captive. Then ask Him for the strength and courage to defy that fear and to place your trust in Him completely.
Let’s choose today to say yes to God. May the words I’m afraid to surrender not cross our lips.
How do you feel when someone questions your integrity or competency? If you’re like me, the answer is lousy. How, then, must God feel when we doubt Him – the One who’s power exceeds our imagination and whose character is flawless?
The Israelites found out the hard way. Psalm 78:19,20 say, “They (the Israelites) even spoke against God himself, saying, ‘God can’t give us food in the desert. Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.’”
Perhaps they’d forgotten that God has good hearing when they uttered those words. In any case, they verbalized their thoughts about His ability, and He decided to defend His reputation. “When the Lord heard them, he was angry. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel, for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them” (vv. 21,22).
The passage tells about the skies opening and raining down manna. This was followed by birds, birds, and more birds – as plentiful as the sand on the seashore. The people gorged themselves but before they could swallow their fill, God struck their strongest men dead.
You’d think they’d learn their lesson: God isn’t happy when we doubt His character. But noooo. “In spite of this, the people kept on sinning. They refused to believe in his miracles. So he ended their lives in failure and gave them years of terror” (vv. 34,35).
We might sit here and say, “Wow – what a dumb bunch. God told them He’d provide. Why didn’t they believe Him?” We compare ourselves to them and give ourselves credit for not doing as they did. After all, we’d never say outright that we doubt God’s ability to give us what we need or to direct us regarding a specific decision we must make. We’d never dream of telling Him that He’s unable to heal a broken marriage. We’d never consider saying He’s unable to protect our kids…or would we? While the words might never cross our lips, our actions often convey our thoughts. And fear is a pretty good indicator that we struggle with doubt.
Wow – this passage really convicts me. Like a spotlight into the recesses of my heart, it exposes room for growth in my faith walk, especially in the area of trusting God’s ability to provide for my adult kids’ needs as they seek housing and better employment. How about you? What does this passage teach you?
Here’s a thought for the day, based on Galatians 2:4 where Paul wrote about false Christians spying on him. These folks were entrenched in religious rules and regulations, but they’d heard Paul’s message about “freedom in Christ” and wanted to see what that looked like in real life.
When people – especially those entrenched in hopelessness or fear – look at me or you, what do they see? I’m not talking about the color of our shirt or the highlights in our hair. I’m talking about other stuff…our countenance, the reflection in our eyes, and our body language. When people look at me or you, do they see…
a) a woman wrapped in peace or warped by worry?
b) a woman who faces the future with confidence or with anxiety?
c) a woman who reflects joy or the jitters?
Hopefully we can circle the first option in each of the above. And hopefully we don’t need to add a conditional clause such as, “When others look at me, they see a woman wrapped in peace except at certain times of the month,” or “When others look at me, they see a woman who faces the future with confidence unless that future is lookin’ a bit gloomy,” or “When others look at me, they see a woman who reflects joy except when circumstances don’t turn out the way she wishes.”
If we profess to know Christ, then let’s ensure that our lives reflect the hope and peace that’s at our disposal. That doesn’t mean we have to be “happy, happy, happy” all the time – personally, I think that mentality’s a farce. In real life, we face tragedies and heartbreaks, and we shed real tears. But in the midst of those difficulties, we have hope because Christ lives in and through us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He promises to provide for us, care for us, and hide us in the shelter of His wing.
When people look at me or you, let’s ensure they see Christ in us, the hope of glory. For me, that means learning to express immediate thankfulness to God no matter what circumstances come my way. What change (s) must take place in your life for that to happen on a consistent basis?
Our Romanian team has dwindled over the past day or so. Two flew out of Timisoara, one remained at River of Life to donate his maintenance skills for three weeks. Six of us traveled by van to Budapest where three boarded a British Airways jet bound for Vancouver. And the last three – Gene, Kim, and myself – headed for Slovakia by train today.
Before doing that, however, we took a 3-hour tour of Budapest.
Welcome to Budapest!
It was wonderful to finally see something other than the airport and train station. Then we met Mike and Nancy Elwood for dinner. They serve with Greater Europe Mission, and Nancy also helped found SHARE, a ministry to help equip missionary parents in the context of their kid’s education. I first met Nancy when she came to an IM conference to provide information and educational testing services for our staff. She later invited me to teach a couple of workshops at a SHARE conference in Hungary in 2008 – that’s where I was when I received word of my dad’s passing. It was good to touch base with them again.
We had a divine appointment on the train to Slovakia. We sat with a college-age fellow who, we learned, could speak English. John told us that he was traveling home to visit his mom, a widow. “She always worries too much about me,” he said. “That’s not good for her. She gets headaches and stomach aches and she can’t sleep at night.” Then he added, “Fear must run in the family, for I do the same thing.”
His speaking the word fear was like throwing a bone to a dog. “I happened to write a book about overcoming fear,” I said. “Did you know the Bible addresses it 366 times?” I mentioned that God’s presence in our lives is the secret to overcoming it. That’s when he said he plans to study theology in Romania after he completes his law studies. The conversation went on to other things, but minutes later he said something completely random: “I read a novel recently. It was about two brothers. The one with a family committed a crime and was sentenced to death. The other, without a family, took his death penalty. He sacrificed himself for the sake of his brother.”
I looked at Gene and he looked at me. We read each other’s minds. Without a doubt, God is seeking John. His words provided an easy and automatic lead into a brief chat about what Jesus did for us, how He sacrificed Himself when He paid our death penalty for sin. John listened and nodded. He said, “Many people don’t understand what Jesus did.” I agreed. Then I offered him my NT in the New Living Translation and explained that it told the entire story. He said, “Thank you for your offer. I will consider it and let you know before our journey ends.”
Sure enough. Minutes before we reached his destination, he said, “I will accept your offer for the Bible.” Yahoo!! I jumped from my seat and dug through my suitcase until I found it. With sheer joy I handed it to him. Now I’m praying for God to continue drawing John to His heart.
“Thank You, God, for divine appointments and for Your great love for mankind.”
Women are a fascinating study. Last week, while riding the city train in London, I sat opposite a lady covered in black. Even her hands were gloved. The only exposed part of her body were her eyes. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to ask her about her life – childhood, career, marriage and family, traditions, hopes and dreams. What lay in the heart and mind of this sister behind the black veil?
In Eastern Europe I see women clothed in black, too. These are senior villagers – stooped, wrinkled, and worn.
A senior Romanian lady with whom I did a craft. Isn't she a sweetie?
In Communist days no one wanted to draw attention to themselves, and these women behave the same way today, avoiding eye contact with others when walking down the street. What atrocities have they endured? And how do they survive on a daily basis when they have next to nothing to eat and often no electricity or indoor plumbing? In stark contrast, young women in the same countries are attending college and preparing for a career. Wearing skin-tight jeans or flowing skirts and stylish high heels, they strut down cobblestone streets while chatting on their cell phones.
Scripture talks about a woman named Sheerah. We don’t know what she looked like, but we know what she did. “Ephraim had a daughter named Sheerah. She built the towns of Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah” (1 Chronicles 7:24). I’m in the back of a van riding through Hungary as I write this, so I don’t have study materials at my fingertips to explore this more. However, based on what we know about the culture of that day, Sheerah must have been an extraordinary woman, a leader, a motivator. She had a vision and knew how to fulfill it. She was a team player, able to work with others to accomplish a purpose. What a gal! I wonder how others accepted her and her giftedness. No doubt some followed her leadership; others probably tsk-tsked and criticized her efforts and passion.
Yes, women make for an interesting study. Some are ruled by fear and anxiety. Others rise to seize challenges before them. Some are overcomers – they have to be because they live in abuse or poverty worse than anyone can imagine. Some are creative geniuses. Others are gifted teachers, administrators, caregivers, nurturers, behind-the-scenes servants, artisans.
The differences are many, but they all share one common factor: God loves them and has gifted them to fulfill His purpose for their lives. How exciting is that? May we rise to the call even if means swimming upstream sometimes. And may we be faithful to help those younger, those coming behind us to do the same.
One of my favorite photos from our trip to India.
If you’re struggling with the fear of financial insecurity, you’re not alone! You might appreciate this article; it’s written from life experience…
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/christianliving/080103fear.html
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