FEAR. 😱 Ever struggle with it? I did. Bad. I want to share what God taught me. Consider a child who got spooked by something – maybe it’s loud fireworks, an energetic dog or falling & getting a boo-boo. It could be something good, neutral or bad. But because the child doesn’t fully comprehend what’s happening, all 3 can make their heart stop for a second in the unknown.

Usually the 1st thing a kid does in this case is look to their parent. The child’s eyes subconsciously search the parent’s face to assess how they are reacting & in turn, judge if the situation requires concern. If the parent laughs at the dog, claps for the fireworks or smiles & says, “You’re ok!” after the child falls, the kid is put at ease. If they look concerned or run to the child shouting, “Are you OK!?” in a panic, the child’s worst fears are confirmed that something is wrong & they begin to panic themselves.

There will be times in our lives where things happen & we are tempted to fear. The trick God showed me is to turn my attention to my Heavenly Father in these moments – to literally picture God/Jesus in my mind’s eye. I can look at His face in the same way as a child to get a truthful assessment of my situation. Sometimes I even ask Him, “Are YOU afraid?” & I see Him laugh, “Nope, I’m not afraid!” One thing I know to be true no matter if our situations are good, neutral, or even bad: God is NEVER afraid, panicked or wringing His hands about them. He is before all things & in Him, all things hold together (Colossians 1:17), He promises to shepherd us thru any valley (Psalm 23:4) and if He is with us, we don’t have to be afraid (Psalm 118:6).

Fear doesn’t usually go away all at once. God CAN deliver people instantly! But fear is often ingrained in us as a habit over many years of “practice” & habits can take time to break. Freedom from fear often comes thru a resetting of the mind & actions every time we are tempted to fear. We must choose to not respond as in the past, but instead respond in a new way that expresses faith & trust in a God who loves us & will keep us. We can have courage thru it all because He has overcome it all! (John 16:33) Receive the Father’s peace! #fearisaliar