BFS #28 – Fear or Freedom?

Waterfall with Cross

This week’s assignment is about fear. I’ve heard, though I don’t know for fact, that Jesus says in the Bible 365 times, “Do not fear”. I’m not going to sit down and count to find out if it’s that many times or not. It did leave me thinking about my own fears and what fears other people have. If we will be honest, there is something which each of us fears losing so much that it strains the limits of our faith to contemplate trusting it to God. Our life is perhaps the least of these, for surely there are worse fates than dying. Perhaps it is losing our wife, husband or child. Perhaps it is losing our freedom, our health or our mind. Tell your fear and how you handle it when you don’t let God take it for you.

Here’s mine:

I’ve always had a fear of not having control over my life. Well, that’s crazy because when I got saved I voluntarily surrendered my life, heart, body and soul to Christ. The thing is God gives us the choice to trust in Him and have faith in Him or not to. I’ve had to learn how to surrender my-self and not let self try to take over, then I don’t have those fears. Here’s how I talk myself through fear when I do have it.

How can you surrender? Whenever there is a problem in your life, there is always a part you have to play, and then there comes a point when you can do no more and have to trust God. Surrender has to do with recognizing when things are, or should be, out of your hands and making a conscious decision to let God control those things. Once that is done, you need to allow yourself to stop worrying and find peace about it. Your peace does not come from an expectation that you will get the outcome you want, it comes from knowing that God will provide the best possible outcome according to His amazing plan. What does that look like in practical terms? When a loved one is sick, you do the part you can do (get them medical attention, pray) and recognize you can do no more. Tell God you know He is in charge and trust Him. Allow yourself to find peace in that knowledge. If you can’t find a job, do the part you can do (send out resumes, make phone calls) then, again, tell God you know He is in charge and you trust Him. Allow yourself to have peace with whatever He does, knowing that you have done your part and He will do his. I must emphasize, don’t expect a certain outcome, but expect that God’s plan will be fulfilled in your life. So, what do you want, to be afraid or to have freedom from fear? Add your verse for this assignment, please.

Mine if the infamous Psalms 23.

Be blessed!

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