What are you really afraid of?

Waiting for the bus.

The first day of Pre-K for my youngest son Henry was an exciting day.  He loved every minute of it and had a fabulous day.  But you wouldn't have known it by the tears streaming down his face when we picked him up that day. "Henry, what is wrong?",  "I want to be a bus rider!!" Bus rider?  What? I can't put my little 4 year old angel on a bus, with someone I don't know, to be sent across town without knowing if he made it soundly, and safely!!! Don't buses have accidents, rollovers, and...bullies!?  Okay, so my imagination set in pretty heavy, and I had to do a lot to control my emotions as the next day, after Dad and I decided that it made most sense financially and logically, I watched him drive away, his precious little life in the hands of the bus driver.  "It's okay, you can do this." I told myself over and over. If he can do it, and not be afraid, then surely I can!

FEAR.  It's a four letter word.  One I don't like to admit, and one I don't like to experience.
So, what is fear?
Webster's Dictionary says this:

transitive verb

1

archaic : frighten  You can cause it.

2

archaic : to feel fear in (oneself) It's internal.

3

: to have a reverential awe of <fear God>  It's respectful.

4

: to be afraid of : expect with alarm <fear the worst>  It's mental.

intransitive verb

: to be afraid or apprehensive <feared for their lives> It's physical.

Physically you can have a biochemical reaction to fear, such as a "fight or flight" response to fear. Which could be a good thing as it can kick us in to protection mode and save us from danger. Animals do this too. 

Emotionally, we can have an adrenaline rush, which some people go seeking after in skydiving, bungee jumping, and other risky physical activities.  Or we can have a negative reaction to fear, leading to phobias, or outwardly avoiding situations due to fear.  But, fear, is different from anxiety.  Anxiety is chronic, and lingering, and worry goes hand in hand.  We have fear of something and we have anxiety with something. 

The bible talks a lot about fear. 

So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matt 10:31 NIV 

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 NLT 

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NLT 

But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 1 Peter 3:14 NLT 

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:18 NLT 

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 NIV 

As a Mom, fear is a way of life.  From the moment we find out we are expecting new life inside of us, fear can set in.  And it's all uphill from there for the rest of their lives, from what I understand.  I've been a Mom for 12 years and the fear, and worry hasn't lessened one bit.

Fear can control you.  It's what makes you behave in sporadic, neurotic ways that cause you to look and feel like a fruit loop.  For me, fear can determine what makes a good day into a bad day. Psychologists have made an acronym for fear. Which makes me feel less fear just reading it:  **Fantasy Expectations Appearing Real. FEAR takes unsupported premises about impending doom, amplifies them, and presents the alleged results as inevitable failure.

How do you handle it?  Well it's up to you.  The first step is to recognize what exactly you are afraid of. Second, Pray about it.  I have a good feeling that our heavenly Father up there does not want us to go one minute experiencing fear, and according to all the scriptures on it, has a lot to say about it. Thirdly, if you feel that fear is taking control of your life, then finding someone to talk to about those fears is very beneficial. It doesn't even have to be a professional or a counselor, though I highly recommend having someone on hand to go to when life gets tough

Here is truth. Life is tough. There are lots of things we could sit around and worry about. When I start to fear what is happening in my life, God reminds me of the story of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah 29:11 is what I consider my "life verse".  It seems to be the verse that has gotten me through some really tough times, and when I need it, God puts it in front of me as a "reminder", that I need to give Him control.  I only recently really learned the story of Jeremiah.  God was going to destroy Israel. So God told the Prophet Jeremiah, to write a letter to the exiles from Jerusalem, telling them to not worry, that God knew the plans he had for them.  (this is where 29:11 comes in) "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".  That even though God knew that He was going to destroy the country, and God grieved that He had to do it, he knew that in order for his plan to be fulfilled Babylon had to be destroyed.  But he told the people through Jeremiah, to keep living life. Build houses, plant gardens, marry and have children. To continue to carrying on with their life not worrying about tomorrow. In the end, many did perish. Yet God's plan in this world is not for our ending here.  His plan is for us to come into eternity with Him.  Therefore, God's plan for your life may or may not be what you envision for your life. But ultimately, God is in control, and if you let go, and give it to Him by trusting in him, you can live without fear.  God has plans for good and not for harm for your life.  Trust that all the mistakes and doubts and outcomes you've made thus far, can be made good in his hands.  And what is the rest of this popular verse?  It says a lot about what to do next:   12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart

**mollygordon.com

Biblegateway.com NIV version.

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