Last week, at the request of a reader, we looked at pain. This week’s topic was raised by another reader: FEAR. What do you fear?
- Bullies
- Pain (we’re not finished with this)
- Losing my home
- Being alone
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I have a big burly friend. With him beside me, I wouldn’t be afraid in a dark alley.
Picture this: the Lord of the universe is always at your side–no one stronger, no one wiser.
Feeling safe?
Not an easy question. I certainly have faith that all will eventually be OK…but there’s a lot to fear, in terms of sheer physical pain, between now and then. Faith helps me to endure it, yes, and to continue functioning at least to some degree in spite of it, but the ‘unknown’ aspect – how bad can it still get – is, frankly, terrifying.
The only real antidotes are the knowledge that I can’t avoid what’s coming, which makes fear kind of useless, and breaking the experience down into more digestible ‘horizons’…looking at getting through the next five minutes rather than the next week.
It’s not that God doesn’t enter into this, but His actions are more working inside me to control my response to a valid fear, rather than to take it away.
It seems to me, Andrew, that you often went where others fear to go. Not fearless as much as not stopped by fear.