Super Saturday: Let's Focus on Fear

My mom had an encounter with a black bear recently.

Oh, don't worry. She's okay, but it got me thinking about fear this week.

Mom and Dad were watching TV one night in their house in the middle of the woods in Tennessee.

"John, there's something on the deck!"

Dad got up and turned on the outside light, only to reveal a 150-pound black bear helping himself to the goodies in their bird feeder.

While Dad ran to get the camera, Mom walked up to the patio door and knocked loudly. "Hey, get out of there!" she scolded. 

Why not? It always worked for the squirrels and raccoons that tried to steal from their feeder.

The bear turned and looked at her, then went headfirst over the deck railing. He was in no hurry at all, but he left.

Mom and I laughed about this as we talked on the phone, but it could have ended much differently.

At the time, Dad pointed out that the bear easily could have stuck a furry paw through the patio door. Luckily, that didn't happen.

I've chuckled a few times as I've thought about my fearless mother shooing a big black bear away. I tend to think that she might have reacted a bit differently if my dad had not been there. I wonder if his presence gave her more courage in that scary situation.

Now, I'm not in any way trying to compare my dear father to God, but I can't help but think about each of us and the fears we face each day. 

Illness.

Frustrations at work.

Relationship problems.

Our own shortcomings.

Death.

There are big, scary things out there, and on our own we might be terrified.

When we remember that God is with us, we find the courage we need to face all of our fears.

They might not go away as quickly as my mom's black bear, but we can give it a shot.

"Hey, get out of here!"

And even if the problem doesn't go away, we have God right beside us while we watch what happens.

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

Are you often afraid? How can remembering that God is with you help you to face those fears with more courage?

*Note: The bear in my blog graphic above is not my mom's black bear. He left before Dad could get a picture.

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Doing It Afraid

I'm in one of those seasons when God seems to be bringing a theme to my attention over and over. 

In blog posts, books, and Bible verses...I keep encountering the word "fear" and the idea of doing something even if you're afraid.

It has been fascinating (and scary) to notice how many times the topic has come up. When things like that happen, you know God is trying to get your attention.

This week I read one of the books that addressed the topic: Fearless: Free in Christ in an Age of Anxiety by Rachel Starr Thomson, Carolyn Currey, and Mercy Hope (1:11 Publishing, 2017)

I highly recommend it if you have any trouble at all with fear and anxiety holding you back from accomplishing the things you want to do in life.

Rachel and her friends explore the Parable of the Talents, as well as Bible characters like Joshua, Esther, Peter, and Gideon.

They admit that the dangers in life are real. We have no guarantees that something bad won't happen to us, but it's worth the risk to step out in faith.

Fear can be displaced by trust in God and by His love.

Here are a couple of quotes toward the end of the book to inspire you:

"We've been trying to open your eyes to the value you bring to the world, the call upon your life to be consecrated wholly to God, and the love God has for you. These truths are the reason to overcome fear, the reason to 'do it afraid.' 

It's all worth it, because God's purposes for you are more significant than you can imagine."

I love that last line. Too often I hold back because I'm afraid of what might happen if I try something new, but God has great purposes for me. Purposes more significant than I can imagine. I have a pretty good imagination, so it's exciting to wonder what God really has in store!

"Fear will do everything it can to stop you from realizing God's promises. It will try to surround your life with walls that keep you shut down and shut in, with your talents buried and your view of yourself limited to 'I am nothing but a grasshopper, and everyone else must know it.' It will create an alternate reality and wear you out with cares and the exhaustion that is a divided mind."

Do you feel shut in and surrounded by walls that keep you doing the same old things every day? The comfortable things? The easy things? I often do.

It's time to break free from those walls built by fear and step out in faith to new places.

We need to remember the foundation of a fearless life: The Lord Will Be with You (as summarized by Rachel, Carolyn, and Mercy).

If we remember that He is with us, we can do pretty much anything, even if we're afraid.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NIV)

Are your fears holding you back from fulfilling God's purposes for your life? How can focusing on God and His love for you help you to move forward and "do it afraid"?