So many times recently, I have found myself letting fear speak to me. I know better and I haven’t agreed with fear but it’s been a fight to keep fear out. Fear is a very strong force and can instantly change you from stable to crazy. I have overcome a lot of fear in my life and I’m so thankful for this…but I know I still have a long ways to go! I’ll share this story as an example: at the beginning of this whole virus pandemic we’re in, I was discussing with my neighbor about how we were going to handle our kids playing together or not during this time. We got to talking about what was happening and what we had heard and by the time we were done I was so fearful I came inside and started crying. I shut all our curtains and sat and cried feeling completely uncertain and hopeless. Well, after a few minutes of this one of my boys walked in the room and was asking me about something and almost instantly I became clear headed and just fine. I looked at the closed blinds and thought back on this experience and literally had the thought, “what in the world was I thinking?” I felt crazy! I could clearly realize how strong the spirit of fear was that took over. I believe, and have believed for some time now, that fear is a spirit and definitely one you don’t want to partner or agree with. Even if you don’t believe fear is a spirit, you will agree it has a strong force that it carries. Healthy fear is different and is necessary, so listening to healthy fear is obviously good. It’s the unhealthy, paralyzing, “what if” fear that we don’t want to listen to…I regularly speak out and meditate on the 1 John 4:18 that says “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear,” and ask God to fill me with His perfect love to protect me from fear. I also am learning to not let the “what if” thoughts take over and to remember to pause and ask the Lord what He thinks about what’s going on. Has anyone else experienced how strong and overwhelming fear can instantly make you feel? I’d love to hear your experiences with fear and ways you’ve found that help you to keep fear out!
One Reply to “Choosing peace…”
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Such a good word for today! I remember stopping in my tracks the first time I heard Kris Vallotton say, “Fear is not your friend.” I’d been listening to its voice all my life as though it were my friend.