The ugly 4-letter "F" word...
FEAR
I started to write on this the other day, but lost my motivation. Tonight, Pastor James mentioned it again and I received that motivation again.
Fear dwells within all of us. For some its a fear of a creature, such as snakes or spiders. For others it may be a fear of situations, such as open spaces or very enclosed spaces. Still for others, it can go to a deeper, intimate, psychological and emotional level. Fears such as rejection, stepping out, being alone, failure, and death are very real and probably more crippling than those physical fears. That’s because those fears can be carried around, not avoided, like snakes and spiders, and linger on for days, months, years and even a lifetime.
The hardest thing to do is face a fear and overcome it. There are several fears that I have carried for years. The scars (and bolts) that cover my body are constant reminders of them. In some cases, they are invisible scars, only seen by those who know me well.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is a powerful verse, but can be one of the hardest to follow through with. Its so easy to rely on one's own strength, since most of our everyday things we rely on that strength. It can be hard calling for help, even when the one you're calling on is so willing to help you get through it.
Sometimes its not relying on that strength, but giving up that fear that you've held as a crutch for so long, a crutch that kept you from having to do things that would take you to different places. It takes strength to give something up.
My stumbling block is giving up or letting go of some of those fears and sins. Giving up drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco are physical things that can be put down and avoided. Having stray thoughts and spending time with the wrong influences is partly a physical and mental challenge. But how do you set down a fear before the throne and step away? I just don't know. Every time I think I have, I find it at the bottom of my proverbial daypack, hiding until I get to the bottom of it because I've used up everything else I had in it.
I'm still seeking the answer.
I started to write on this the other day, but lost my motivation. Tonight, Pastor James mentioned it again and I received that motivation again.
Fear dwells within all of us. For some its a fear of a creature, such as snakes or spiders. For others it may be a fear of situations, such as open spaces or very enclosed spaces. Still for others, it can go to a deeper, intimate, psychological and emotional level. Fears such as rejection, stepping out, being alone, failure, and death are very real and probably more crippling than those physical fears. That’s because those fears can be carried around, not avoided, like snakes and spiders, and linger on for days, months, years and even a lifetime.
The hardest thing to do is face a fear and overcome it. There are several fears that I have carried for years. The scars (and bolts) that cover my body are constant reminders of them. In some cases, they are invisible scars, only seen by those who know me well.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is a powerful verse, but can be one of the hardest to follow through with. Its so easy to rely on one's own strength, since most of our everyday things we rely on that strength. It can be hard calling for help, even when the one you're calling on is so willing to help you get through it.
Sometimes its not relying on that strength, but giving up that fear that you've held as a crutch for so long, a crutch that kept you from having to do things that would take you to different places. It takes strength to give something up.
My stumbling block is giving up or letting go of some of those fears and sins. Giving up drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco are physical things that can be put down and avoided. Having stray thoughts and spending time with the wrong influences is partly a physical and mental challenge. But how do you set down a fear before the throne and step away? I just don't know. Every time I think I have, I find it at the bottom of my proverbial daypack, hiding until I get to the bottom of it because I've used up everything else I had in it.
I'm still seeking the answer.
posted by El Guapo at 8:02 PM
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