I've been sitting on the post for a while. (1) thinking it over in my head. (2) Have been sick and just now able to post it. But the thing that I wanted to really concentrate on in this post is a serious thing for me. It's what drives me sometimes to do nothing. This thing causes me to doubt. This thing causes me undo distress in my life. This thing snaps at my heels like my little lap dog. This thing is FEAR!
Fear paralyzes me at the most needed times in my life when God is trying to tell me to do something. I can't because I'm immediately paralyzed with fear. It controls my life to the point that I am absolutely terrified the majority of the time. Ask my husband Rich, and he will tell you that when we go somewhere he's not the only driver in the car. And believe me it drives him crazy. To quote him "Stop side seat driving!" I'm always afraid that something is going to happen. And when it comes down to it I'm afraid of failing God! There I finally said....Lord I am so afraid of failing you! There have been many times that I have failed.
I'm always afraid of saying the wrong thing....afraid of messing it all up. Our pastor has been teaching out of the book of Galatians on liberty. What true liberty is in Christ. As he taught one Sunday it dawned on me that I've never been free. I've never really experienced that liberty. Because since I was a child I have been fearful. I've carried fear around with me as long as I can remember and it has eaten away at me for years. Though I'm saved by the blood of Jesus Christ I've never allowed him to give me liberty.
Everyone has grown up with some issues that hamper our ability to truly be free in Christ. The question is what are we going to do about it? I memorized Isaiah 61:1-4 verses months ago. "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me. Because he has annointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." However, I must admit that it never hit me in my heart until recently. Because it was just recently that I realized how jailed I've been by fear.
Lord you came for me. You came to open the prison that I've willingly walled myself in. Day by day help me to walk in freedom and liberty.
2 comments:
Evette,
I know what you're feeling....in a BIG way! I can tell you what I know for sure: God hears your prayer for help. Everytime I have something that I need help with, and everytime I need his help in changing me, he does it. It may take months for it to happen, because it's usually a gradual thing, but it always happens. He always does it, because when you desire to walk in the ways he has called you, you are desiring his will. And his Word says that anytime you ask for something according to his will, he will answer. We know that it is NOT his will for you to live in fear, so as you continue to seek him and lay yourself at his feet, he will change you and conform you to His will for you. As you read His Word, you will also be changed.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory ot another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:17,18
He will work the fear out of you because it is His will for you to be conformed to the image of Christ. There is no fear in Christ, only freedom and life!
This is such a good post and I can relate to it well. I have been wrestling with fear quite a bit the past few months. It comes over me like a dark cloud at times. I'll be going along feeling good and suddenly it's there - clouding my view of everything. SO many of my prayers lately have been the simple words "Lord I trust you..." because it is the only truth that puts me at ease.
Thanks for sharing this. Let's pray for one another.
By the way - I do the same thing to Derek while we are in the car... :)
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