Fear can be crippling. What are your fears? What comes to mind for me are the obvious fears like spiders, heights and confined spaces. We aren’t born with these fears, but somehow they creep in over the course of time. Since moving to Mexico I have really come to grips with my fear of spiders. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one scurrying around (yes, they are VERY fast here, and VERY big). You’ve heard people say the way to conquer your fear is to face it.
Aside from these “common” fears, we all have fears that are deeper inside us. They limit us from our true happiness or potential. I’ve learned more and more about these fears, also known as “limiting beliefs.” We all have them. Maybe we believe we aren’t good enough or don’t deserve happiness. Maybe we believe we are too old or too young to do this or that. These beliefs are based on fear. What does the Bible say?
“The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” When we find ourselves getting stuck from moving forward or holding back because of some limiting belief or “fear” of failure, of looking stupid, or making the wrong choice, we need to STOP! Claim this verse. Who’s got our back? Other people are just people. What can they do? We can’t let them control our actions. We need to kick our fears in the butt with God’s help.
We can be our own biggest enemy as well. When we let our self-talk keep us from doing what God intends, we are letting fear win. We should turn to the counsel of others. When we do that we need to be careful who we listen to. There are so many voices in the world screaming for our attention. What does our passage today tell us, “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.” Who comes to mind for you as a leader, mentor, or friend who has shared God’s word with you? Maybe you had a favorite Sunday School teacher growing up, a confirmation leader, a pastor?
Maybe your first thought was Jesus. Jesus was the one who was my first teacher. His life is the example I want to follow. The cool part about Jesus is he “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” In a world that changes every second, we can always rely on our unchanging Lord. He is there through it all. We will encounter many false teachings along the way and some may even sound really great. Always come back to the truth, what does the Bible say, what would Jesus do?
Let’s pray. Father God, I pray protection for my children and grandchildren as they can get so caught up in this world and the lies that seek to devour them. Help them stand firm. Open their eyes to see you. I pray the same for all who are lost and afraid. Calm their fears. Thank you that I can rely on your great power to help me overcome my own limiting beliefs and fears. I don’t want to let them hold me back from the beautiful life you have in store for me. Use me, mold me and make me more like you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
