Let Jesus Uncripple Your Fear

\”When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus\”

~Corrie Ten Boom

Imagine this: you are sitting on the beach watching the sunset as waves lap the sand as you bask in the glow. A book lies in your lap as you lose yourself in thought of how wonderful you feel at this moment.

Now imagine the reality: You\’re dreaming of traveling to the beach, sitting on the sand watching the sunset. But instead of taking the steps to go, you feel fear. What if you\’re needed at your job, your family, or any of your other obligations? What if the plane crashes? What if you get lost? What would happen if you let down your guard? What if…?

You are not alone, friend; I\’ve been there. There was a time in my life when fear crippled me. I spent a few years not driving a car because I \”knew\” something would happen. My dad drove me to drop off my young children at the time at daycare, then dropped me off at work. Then He\’d pick us up and take us home.

In the summer, if I was a passenger in a car with the windows down and we passed a dead animal along the road, I\’d hold my breath until we passed by, hoping to not breathe in bacteria. Even as a passenger, I would be looking at the traffic lights up ahead, thinking, what if the light turns yellow and we don\’t make it. We\’re all going to die.

Those what if\’s cripple us from truly living the life God intended us to. He never intended us to live in fear. Though he never said life would be without trouble, he never wanted us to crawl into a hole and be a recluse avoiding people, conditions, and circumstances.

Those what if\’s keep us from finding peace that only God provides. But to find peace, sometimes you have to face the fears holding you paralyzed.

Facing our fears and getting out of our comfort zone is challenging because humans naturally expect the worst-case scenario. When we have fears, we feel unsafe. Our brain sends us negative information because it is trying to keep us safe. Because of this, we need to discern and realize it\’s really Satan who is feeding our minds with these negative, self-destructive thoughts.

How did I face my fears? Truthfully I just got tired of living that way. I was able to see how my self-destructive thoughts were affecting my family. It just wasn\’t impacting my life; it was impacting theirs too. I couldn\’t let that happen.

There has to be more, I thought. I lamented to God to please release me of my fears. It didn\’t happen overnight, but something happened as I drew near to God and dug deep into his word each day. My dad wasn\’t home to take me to the grocery store; what am I going to do, I thought. So, I got in the car and went myself. I took back roads on that first trip, but it was just the beginning of being set free of fear.

We all have fears of some kind. They may seem rational to us but appear irrational to others. To overcome your fears, you need to understand why you have them and then work on facing them. Don\’t fret, friend; you don\’t have to go at it alone. You have an anchor, Jesus! He will set you free by seeking Him every day through his word, prayer, and faith.

Go ahead, step inside the ability of Jesus and find joy, friend.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

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