Have you ever looked out into the future and felt some [great] fear or anxiety? I have.
Similarly, is it possible to get so focused on what might be that a little of your present joy is compromised?
Perhaps it’s as tiny as worrying about the budget while on vacation and not enjoying the excursions or a nice meal with friends and family. So, too, and even more troubling, fear can rear its head while waiting for the results from a recent biopsy to determine the type and level of spread of [a] disease you or someone you love may have contracted.
Our world and lives present many moments to consider the unknown. Some personalities are easygoing and take life as it comes, but others worry. I oscillate between the two poles. I maintain a deep and abiding trust in God and His sovereign ways, but certain things can make me worry.
To those who worry, I want to encourage you.
Let’s begin by asking some questions:
- What is it about the unknown that evokes anxiety or fear?
- Could it be the uncertainty of it all? Could it be feeling out of control? Could it be the potential pain or discomfort? We all have an explanation and justification for whatever brings fear into our lives.
- And so, there are deeper questions we must answer:
- First, what am I to believe about God?
- Second, what am I to believe about myself?
- Third, based on the answers to the first and second questions, how am I then to respond?
What do I believe about God?
- If God is the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, He is sovereign over every circumstance.
- “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
- If God is good and faithful, He will redeem what He allows.
- “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
- If God is love, He will utilize trials to draw and restore us to Himself.
- “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10
What do I believe about myself?
- If I am created and sustained by God, then I am fashioned and protected from any ultimate destruction.
- “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:4-5
- If I am in doubt, God is faithful.
- “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13
- If I sin, God is forgiving.
- “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
How am I to respond?
- Recognize that the path before us is always dark (unknown), but dark (unknown) doesn’t mean evil or pain.
- We are surrounded by darkness, and our foresight is limited to the present. We may only pattern and predict (at best) what might be, leaving the best at observing patterns and making predictions subject to uncertainty. Moreover, the world is given to the evil one, and he desires to destroy. Therefore, accepting the darkness and uncertainty before us is not a cause for panic or resignation but for trust and intentionality.
- Expect opposition (thorns), but still do the Lord’s will the Lord’s way.
- “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
- Remember that the Lord is in control.
- Since God is sovereign, He is and will work all things for our good and His glory. It’s like looking at the mountains and being taken back by the beauty. That moment of sublime reflection is rooted in the awareness of scope, splendor, and magnitude. All those and more are rooted in God and flow from His magnificence, splendor, and majesty.
- And so, plan, but trust!
- “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
- Follow the Light you do have.
- God has given us His Word to guide, change, and comfort us in our short life. Therefore, God’s Word operates as our light illuminates the dark and uncertain path before us. My response is to submit myself to a daily seeking of God through His Word (i.e., my morning and evening routines).
- Find joy (gratitude) in the moment and be all there in the present.
- “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Jennifer and I were discussing the topic of fear this morning, and she shared the image below with me that she had picked up from a ministry kiosk at Denton Bible. It was on point, so I wanted to share it with y’all as well…press on!
