This past
weekend I unplugged from the world and was part of a “Walk to Emmaus” weekend
with 75 plus other people. It was an
amazing time to assist with this walk and brought me to remember when I first
went on my “Walk to Emmaus” over 2 years ago.
In the middle of the spiritual get away and times of refreshing many
things happened around our world that have caused great pain and fear.
The earthquake
in Nepal and riots in Baltimore continue to bombard the headlines of news
outlets this week. We must be careful to
not let these events, or others, paralyze us with fear.
Fear is a fact
of life, yet God gives us faith and tools to deal with fear. The biggest tool is love. We must embrace the fact that God loves us no
matter what. In turn we can respond to
God’s love for us by loving others in the same, unconditional way.
This love can be
seen in acts of kindness, through prayers, in listening to a friend, by
offering words of encouragement and through many other methods, yet I suggest
that when times of fear come one of the ways we can love others most is through
allowing them to see that we are not allowing fear to paralyze us.
Before the
opportunity for fear comes choose how you will respond. Choose to believe God and respond in faith to
what He has said. Let the love of God
overshadow any opportunity for fear.
Here is part of
something I shared in October of 2008 that rings true today:
For God has not
given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and
self-discipline.
Our nation seems
to be gripped by fear at this moment. The economy, politics, the weather
and so much more is going on in all kinds of negative directions. It is
time for those of faith to stand up, speak up and share what God says.
No, I do not
have an answer about fixing the economy, but God does. That means we need
to pray for those in places of influence. Pray for them to have wisdom.
Pray for leaders in industry to have peace and direction. Pray for
the church, God's people, to share the hope that comes from knowing God.
There are no magic answers, but we have a great and awesome God.
I am losing all
hope; I am paralyzed with fear.
That is what the
world says when it has nothing to hold on to. When the world seems to be
collapsing because of natural disaster or when people are inflicting human
pain, we don’t have to be paralyzed with fear.
What happens when we turn toward God and His truth?
Why should
I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?
When we get what
God gets and trust the way God wants, we will deal with our fear and situations
much differently. I pray we will live with faith to overcome fear and
lead others to see God because we know His peace.
Trust in the
Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to
take.
You can go to bed
without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly
It is time to live by faith and push
fear aside. Let’s pray for those who have influence and lead people to
experience God! Let’s love others and
let them see that faith and not fear holds our lives!
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