Fear

I have seen a lot of fear present itself lately, both mine, and others.  I have seen lives thrown by pain, sickness and loss.  The kind of suffering that rocks the soul.  I have heard them struggling to find their normal again, to find center.

One thing I’ve learned in my own suffering - finding “normal” and “center” again is the wrong goal.  Though it’s our tendency to try to go back to where we felt safe, we miss the reason for our suffering.

God wants to draw us away from our old normal and center.  As the planets to the sun, He wants us to revolve around Him, letting the gravity of His Sovereignty hold us in orbit as he leads us through our cycle of life, for His purposes.

Isaiah 41:10

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

I know fear is crippling - especially when you have confronted circumstances where it is tangible.  But the Savior of our souls wants us not to run from that fear and deny it’s grip but to hold it in our hands, take it to the feet of Jesus and lay it down while He fills us up with new strength, new hope and our new normal.   What is our new normal?  Why do we suffer?  Why do we feel pain?  So we can trust, more than we previously did; so we realize that we are in desperate need for God and his love, mercy and help; so that we understand that we are nothing and He is everything; so we grasp that we cannot live without His presence every minute of our lives; and finally, so that we can comfort others who suffer.

2 Cor 1:3-7

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. ⁵ For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. ⁶ Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. ⁷ We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

Make your new goal to grab fear by the horns and throw yourself into the arms of Jesus letting Him transform that fear into extraordinary trust, hope and strength for His purpose.  He has done it for me.  He will do it for you.