Let me tell you a secret: I'm afraid. A lot.
I'm afraid of speaking--to a group and one-on-one. I'm afraid of failure--whether it's a hard class in school, the ACT test, or on my college apps. I'm afraid of telling about who I am, really, beneath the surface--whether it's expressing my witty, weird sense of humor or telling people I observe the seventh-day Sabbath.
And the fear stretches far beyond that into the simple, everyday things. Most of all, I'm afraid of what God will command me to do (because I'm afraid I'll fail) and afraid of what He's already told me to do (because I've already failed and I'm afraid there's no way I can succeed).
But God has a way of wagging His finger at all my misbeliefs and correcting them Himself.
Like when He reminded me that He didn't give me "a spirit of fear and timidity"--that's something of the flesh--"but of power, love, and self-discipline" (1 Timothy 1:7 NLT).
And those three gifts that He has given are really important and can help me conquer my fears.
Because He's given me the power to ace my tests', classes', and college applications'.
He's given me love--love for Him, to realize that He made me beautiful; love for myself, to be okay with how different I am; and love for others, to be honest and share who I am with them no matter what they may think.
And He's given me the self-discipline to accomplish the things He commands me to do, no matter how difficult they may seem.
And even when fear still creeps up around test-time, socializing-time, or obedience-time, God reminds me He "will personally go ahead of [me]. He will be with [me]; he will neither fail [me] nor abandon [me]" (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT).
A devotional I read recently gave me this simple advice for dealing with fear: remember who you are. If I know and am assured of the fact that I am a daughter of God, saved by His Son Jesus and filled with His Holy Spirit, then what do I have to be afraid of?
Nothing. Not even death.
That's hard to write, hard to believe. Even as I type the words, my mind races to argue with that statement: "What about kidnapping? What about someone taking my brother or me? What if someone hurts my brother or me, or my mom? What if something happens to my dad?" I try to imagine the worst case scenario--extreme physical suffering, such that it seems unbearable.
But God says I don't have to fear even that: "don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that" (Luke 12:4 NLT).
And besides, if Jesus could take His extreme physical (and emotional and spiritual) suffering for me, shouldn't I for Him?
The point is, when I remember who I am, I have nothing to fear.
I'm afraid of speaking--to a group and one-on-one. I'm afraid of failure--whether it's a hard class in school, the ACT test, or on my college apps. I'm afraid of telling about who I am, really, beneath the surface--whether it's expressing my witty, weird sense of humor or telling people I observe the seventh-day Sabbath.
And the fear stretches far beyond that into the simple, everyday things. Most of all, I'm afraid of what God will command me to do (because I'm afraid I'll fail) and afraid of what He's already told me to do (because I've already failed and I'm afraid there's no way I can succeed).
But God has a way of wagging His finger at all my misbeliefs and correcting them Himself.
Like when He reminded me that He didn't give me "a spirit of fear and timidity"--that's something of the flesh--"but of power, love, and self-discipline" (1 Timothy 1:7 NLT).
And those three gifts that He has given are really important and can help me conquer my fears.
Because He's given me the power to ace my tests', classes', and college applications'.
He's given me love--love for Him, to realize that He made me beautiful; love for myself, to be okay with how different I am; and love for others, to be honest and share who I am with them no matter what they may think.
And He's given me the self-discipline to accomplish the things He commands me to do, no matter how difficult they may seem.
And even when fear still creeps up around test-time, socializing-time, or obedience-time, God reminds me He "will personally go ahead of [me]. He will be with [me]; he will neither fail [me] nor abandon [me]" (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT).
A devotional I read recently gave me this simple advice for dealing with fear: remember who you are. If I know and am assured of the fact that I am a daughter of God, saved by His Son Jesus and filled with His Holy Spirit, then what do I have to be afraid of?
Nothing. Not even death.
That's hard to write, hard to believe. Even as I type the words, my mind races to argue with that statement: "What about kidnapping? What about someone taking my brother or me? What if someone hurts my brother or me, or my mom? What if something happens to my dad?" I try to imagine the worst case scenario--extreme physical suffering, such that it seems unbearable.
But God says I don't have to fear even that: "don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that" (Luke 12:4 NLT).
And besides, if Jesus could take His extreme physical (and emotional and spiritual) suffering for me, shouldn't I for Him?
The point is, when I remember who I am, I have nothing to fear.
When I lose my way,
And I forget my name
Remind me who I am
In the mirror all I see
Is who I don't wanna be
Remind me who I am...
Tell me, once again
Who I am to You, who I am to You
Tell me, lest I forget
Who I am to You, that I belong to You
--Jason Gray, "Remind Me Who I Am"
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Another devo-ish post yayyy! Well, I think yay. And apparently a lot of you do, too! So what do you think about this post? How do you handle fear? If you're a Christian, what Bible verses have you used to combat fear? If you aren't a Christian, what helps you fight fear? Let me know in the comments!
Girl. You get me.
ReplyDeleteDUDE I THOUGHT I RESPONDED TO EVERYONE'S COMMENTS AND TBH I'M SO MAD AT MYSELF. I'M SO SORRY. ahem. anyway. so glad I reached you with this post! Sometimes I'm scared I'm alone in all this, so I'm glad I'm not! Thanks for your comment Rosie ^_^
DeleteThank you so much for this! I LOVE that verse. And I really needed to hear it today, what with Hurricane Irma looming closer and my own mind getting anxious. I love your spirit of celebration and rejoicing in who God made you to be! Some of my favorite fear verses are Joshua 1:9 and Exodus 14:14. :) Great post! <3
ReplyDeleteOhmygoodness Erin so sorry I didn't respond sooner! Praying you are doing well since the Hurricane! I'm glad God was able to use me to get a peace-giving message to you. Thank you so much for stopping by!
DeleteThank you for this post. I'm constantly nervous and anxious, and so this was a very well-needed reminder. Love these posts. <3
ReplyDeleteSo glad I'm not alone in anxiety and nervousness! And I'm happy it helped you ^_^ Thank you for commenting Grace!
DeleteYes, yay to another devotional post! :D Also wow, I keep the seventh day Sabbath too.
ReplyDeleteThat first verse is so powerful. I think I need to spend some time considering it more. I like how you pulled it apart, and really applied it to life. And now I have that song playing in my mind. :) Thanks for the post! xx
Really, Jessica? That's so cool! I always feel like the odd girl out with the Sabbath so it's super comforting to find others who observe it, too. I'm glad that verse touched you! God always brings His messages around to me again, helping me break it down and really take it to heart. I'm so glad that helped you! And haha, I can't help reading those words without the song starting up in my head :D Thank you so much for commenting!
DeleteGood article, you sharing is awesome, love it!
ReplyDeleteGlassesShop
Thank you! :D
DeleteThis is simply BE-YOU-tiFULL! God, The Potter, is molding you into a strong vessel for Him so you can be filled with His mighty Holy Spirit and can overflow in so many other lives. Rest assured, my love, you have nothing to fear! His given you power, love and a sound mind. Much love xoxo
ReplyDeleteMommy!!! How did I never realize that you commented on here? Thank you so so much; love you 💕
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