On Becoming Fearless

If babies worry in the womb, that was me.
If fear is a seed that grows in our young souls, that was me.

Nobody knew.

It was behind the closed doors of my crying heart where fear festered.

What if your mom doesn’t come home?
What if someone comes in while she’s gone?
What if we run out of money, for good?

Perhaps it was the mismatch: worries too big for a little girl.
Or maybe it was that I chose to keep them private, as if hoarding stress would protect others.

Only Jesus knows our inner journeys … how at some point the intersection with normal, healthy fear which engenders wisdom takes a sharp left turn steered by the devil himself.

Careening down a treacherous hill, sharp branches reaching with their thorns ready to draw blood, you hold on for dear life.

Until the fear overtakes life, and you anticipate death.

After I literally watched my mother die, my 21 year-old self ran to the doctor for every ache, bump and cough.

Could it be cancer?
This lump wasn’t there before!

Oh, dear Jesus, thank you for never leaving me. Thank you for saving me from taking my own life when fear of life was greater than the fear of death. Thank you for drawing me to Yourself that I may taste the dust on your cloak and come to know You.

There are 365 statements telling us DO NOT FEAR in the Bible. One for each day of the year (www.biblesociety.org/uk).

Tell me God doesn’t know how often we worry. Tell me He is not with us when we can’t help but feel afraid.

He is there and wants for us to lean further into Him.

However do we do this and let go of all the fear collected through time?

The fear of not being enough~
The fear of not having enough~
The fear that something far bigger will swallow us~

Do not fear For I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

Faith is believing in what we cannot see.

Just as David couldn’t see God when he chose the tiny stones and faced the giant.
Just as Hagar couldn’t see God when she chose to obey and return to slavery because He saw her.

Yes, believing with your whole scared soul that Jesus is ALL power-full over all imagined and real enemies is your foundation to conquer fear.

I pray that they eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:18-21).

Belief, then trust.

One can believe but lack trust.

Trust is the antidote to fear and worry, at least that’s how He has worked in my life.

I will not sit here and tell you I never worry, but the whole fear-festering mess is gone, burned up in His cleansing fire.

Without a doubt, I trust Him with my life. God is the giver and the taker. When my time comes to see Jesus, I am ready. When my time comes to speak to a crowd of thousands, I am ready. When my family is on the brink of trouble (financial, emotional), I am ready.

Ready for what, you ask? Ready to receive the help I trust He will give.

The more we rely on ourselves, fear takes root like a stubborn weed … all much to Satan’s delight.

The more we rely on God, and I mean the more we lay our lives down in surrender, fear dissipates.

It leaves the very strands God wove in your mother’s womb. Those threads of fright weren’t meant to grow, just to help guide us in reverence of Him and of natural dangers (children fear getting burned to stay away from the stove).

In His perfect love that casts out fear, we become His peace-full children full of grace to walk wherever He leads.

Should trepidation ever make our hearts tremble, with greater fervor we will seek His truth to steady us once again.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Wow, how can we ever thank you enough, Jesus?

I will give thanks to you, Lord with all my heart; I will tell of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your name, O Most High (Psalm 9:1-2).

~~~

Thank you and welcome to all this breezy Fall day.

Fear in tiny amounts is necessary. When it becomes the nasty ruler of our hearts, we grow distant from God.

How has Jesus helped you with fear?

What worry prevents you from trusting Him?

Feel free to start a conversation in the comments or email me privately at juliedibblespeaks@gmail.com

All photos in this post are from Pixabay.

Join me at 12:45p Eastern time for Thankful Thursday, 5 minutes of gratitude at https://Facebook.com/jdibble4Him

A new poem, “Just for Today” is at https//:faithhopeandpoetry.blog

May Jesus bless you with courage for everything in your path today.

In Christ,

Julie