Fear Is Not Real

On Monday, July 15^th, 2013, at about 6:55 pm, I was on my way to babysit for a friend of mine. Driving down the road from my apartment, I was singing along with a worship song on the radio when the car in front of me signaled to turn right into a driveway. Instead, the driver stopped right in front of me, causing me to brake quickly and look for a way out on the left. The inside lane was already occupied by another driver, so I stopped there, inches away from the person in front of me. Looking for an escape, I heard a loud crashing sound and felt my body jerk forward. Another driver had tried to move into our lane without realizing we were both stopped, and hit the bumper of my car. It was my first car accident, and my worst fear come true. In shock, I looked around, unsure what to do. The inside lane was finally clear so I pulled around the stopped car and parked on the side of the road in front of them. I then spent the next hour talking with these other drivers and waiting for police to do something.

At first, I was terrified. I was afraid to get out of the car and see the damage done. Luckily, no one was hurt in any way, and the cars weren’t even in bad shape.  Still, I spent most of the evening shaking in my [metaphorical] boots. In the few days since then, I’ve been a little uneasy about driving. I do what I have to, but I am even more cautious than before. Today I was on the freeway and found myself tightly enclosed by cars and felt suddenly claustrophobic for one small moment. However, rather than consuming me, the feeling faded, and I felt the peace of God move over me. Fear retreated and peace took over.

I believe that there is nothing to fear in this life. In the movie, After Earth, Will Smith’s character told his son this: 

“Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me -- danger is very real, but fear is a choice.” 

In Christ, this is true. Satan takes hold of the fear we allow to take root in our hearts and he feeds it. His lies make it grow, if we so allow. Nothing we go through can truly shake us, if only we allow God to be our strength. We need only to trust in Him.

Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians are a great reminder:

“In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything” (2 Cor. 6:4-10).

Yes, surely nothing in this life can hinder us, so long as we lean on Christ. Neither death nor this life can harm us, for in him we have everlasting life!

Facebook -- it's not the rant you think it is!

It seems as if there's another Facebook user every day posting that they are tired of what people post. They threaten to delete half their friends if it doesn't stop, because apparently they can't filter words themselves. They swear too much, are too negative, or are inappropriate. Honestly, I understand how easy it is to be affected by the words of others, but I also see it as their own choice. So what if someone posts something you don't like?

I say, no more judgment! Instead, let's pray for those who seem to be struggling and complaining. Let them know we're interested in their lives and maybe even DO something for someone who might not do anything for you. Perhaps all our Facebook friends need is an actual friend. It isn't something I'm great at, but it's definitely something I feel needs to be done. Can we start together?

Faith, Trust, and ...: A Resolution

A few nights ago I was laying in bed, pondering over the turmoil I have been feeling lately. I was begging God for some sense of understanding and resolution. Though the conversation is foggy now, I simply remember realizing that this feeling of turmoil almost always points to one thing: growth. It can be an ugly word as it rolls around in our heads or on our tongues because it means giving up comfort and ease. It means being willing to be stretched and torn; to itch for change and then to beg for stability again. When God chooses to grow us, we often groan and whine and wonder what on Earth He is doing.

At the same time, we can take comfort when we grow that it means we are still worthwhile to Him. It means that we are broken and struggling but that God has such immense love for us that He desires to make us better and bring us closer to Him at the same time. We may not even know what He is doing in us, but we can find peace in that fact that we are not done yet.

Though I do not have the faith of Hadassah yet, I feel that perhaps God is growing me in that area. In the meantime I can cling to Him. Oh, what a beautiful pain it is, to be so desperate for Him. It will be difficult, but it will be beautiful. As John said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." And all that I may glorify Him!