Monday, December 8, 2008

"...but what if....?"

FEAR - "to be afraid or apprehensive" (Webster's Dictionary)

Something that seeks to grip each one of our lives. Fear of the unknown, of the unconrollable. Fear of failure, of weakness exposed. Fears from the past and fears for the future. Fear of other people and fear of ourselves.

These past two weeks, fear has crept into the cracks of my heart and my mind. Questions and doubts that wound their way into my thoughts and swelled into what grew to be fear. I'm sure you want specifics because as humans that is what we are wired to ask next, but the content of my fears aren't important at this point. The point is...they were present in my life.

After the point of those fears spilling out of my in the form of tears I realized that something was wrong and that I needed to talk to Jesus about where my heart was. My heart and mind were out of sync and only He knows how to resolve that. As he searched my heart and brought these fears to the surface I was surprised at how they were affecting me. The verse came to mind..."

Phil. 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NASB)

or as the Message puts it...

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Had I brought these worries to my God? To the King that I serve? Does any of this really surprise Him? Am I really asking things that He might not have already thought of?

Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Ps 62:8

As I placed these fears in the hands of my Father, I realized that I was so focused on the small details that I forgot the purpose of the matter at hand. How foolish I am sometimes. I am thankful for a God that is patient and ready to offer His peaceful presence in my life.

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