Worry, anxiety and fear, oh my!
Normally, I struggle with fear the most, but they’re all connected. Fear starts the ball rolling for me, and if I ruminate my panicky thoughts long enough, then I find myself trembling in the woods like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, chanting, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”
But instead of ruminating, or chanting like Dorothy, I’ve learned to take my fears and burdens to God. But that wasn’t always the case with me.
I used to pray to God only when I needed or wanted something. Then, I would promise “to be a good person from here on out” if he would just answer this one prayer. Then I would go about my business again when the crisis was over, telling God, “I can take it from here,” and forgetting to give all my money to the poor like I promised. Then within 24 hours I would start a new cycle of fear, worry and anxiety over something else. To quote the late Gilda Radner, “It’s always something.” And it always is.
But fear itself is not bad, it’s what we do with it. It’s meant to be a call to action, especially if confronted with real lions, tigers and bears. The fear might tell us to run up a tree, but most of our fears are brought on by concerns for loved ones, finances, health, etc. Even after establishing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I was stuck for years with “the outcome” of the fear as my focus, instead of the unmerited grace and peace that is ours whatever state we are in. I’ve been praying for the break-through instead of grace and peace through the trial.
I heard an expository sermon once on Ephesians 1:1-3, that changed forever how I look at trials and tribulations. At first when I read the text, I thought—What are we going to get out of a salutation? Isn’t Paul just saying hello? But, riches and truths are profound in these verses. Promises of being secure in the unmerited grace of God and our reconciliation with him through Christ.
These verses stress “relationship” as key to the abundant life. It is very trendy to use the word of God as a tool in our lives against negativity. This is good—but not if it trumps our personal relationship with Christ. It reduces scripture to mere words, sayings, and affirmations. When we have a conversation with friends and loved ones, we don’t talk to them in quotes and affirmations. You might bring up a truth while relating, but it would be silly to communicate in only positive words as if they themselves had power. They don’t. The power is in Lord Jesus Christ through his grace and peace in our lives.
So, it is in “the mist of the trial” where we find our relief. My heart and my spirit are under siege and I need help now. God cares, and he will resolve it according to his will and purpose for my life. He knows that another trial will be lurking around the corner, just like Gilda Radner discovered. He wants our lives stable and secure through the storm for we are his witnesses, we are the salt of the earth.
As Christian women, we can come boldly before the throne of grace and tell him our fears. What you talk about will be unique and special, because your fears and suffering are unique and special to him. He has a customized relief for you, made especially for you.
Re-establish your foundation, a relationship against worry, anxiety and fear. And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you as you walk among the lions, tigers and bears of life. Oh, my.