Fighting Our Fears
If somebody you know needs a reminder of God’s love, I would encourage you to share this with them.
One of the things I have wanted to talk about for some time now is the state of the world and how it affects us. With all of the news coming around lately, with political upset, nuclear threats, and violence (the list could go on and on), it can appear like the world is ripping apart
at the seams. It is so easy to become fearful when we hear these things and wonder “what’s going to happen?” All too often, we forget that God is in control, despite our brokenness.
One of the issues that comes between us and God is fear. The funny thing about fear, however, is the fact that a lot of the time, we don’t like to discuss it. We know it is there, but often think that if we don’t bring it up, maybe it won’t bother us, or maybe it will just go away. What we don’t realize though, is that if we do not address our fears, they can often become something that holds us back in life or causes us to stumble down the road. What are some of your greatest fears? What fears have held you back from accomplishing a goal in your life?
For this post, I would like to share one of my greatest fears with you all. In my goal of being completely transparent with you, I will not lie and say that every day of my life has been positive. Ever since my parents divorced when I was two years old, I have had my fair share of ups and downs; but God has been in every moment. I have realized that one of my greatest fears is disappointing God. When I am on stage, and even after concerts when I talk with people, sometimes it is difficult to “let people in” and allow them to see the brokenness: mistakes from the past, poor decisions, my humanity. Sometimes, as with our fears, it seems easier to just sweep some things under the rug and not talk about them. But then, we wouldn’t get to the best part, and the main message about this post.
Does God love our brokenness? No. Does He approve of past mistakes and poor decisions? Nope. But does He love us any less because of all this? Absolutely not. God loves us more than we could ever realize. Sometimes we forget that hard, true fact that nothing we do can ever separate us from the Father. Sometimes we let our fears control our lives and prevent us from having a full and fulfilling relationship with God. For those of you who share fears similar to mine, or for those of you who feel like you have been bruised and scarred while on the battlefield of life, I’d like to offer you a bit of encouragement.
Life is not easy, and it never has been. When blessed with a new day, we have the opportunity to make decisions that will either glorify God or not. We have the opportunity to live for Him. Our fears are a side effect of our humanity; they exist because they are an extension of brokenness. But they do not need to control your life. God wants us to have the most fulfilling life, and not worry about the “what might happens” or the “what ifs.” Remember that God has a plan for each one of us; do not live in fear of the past or the future, but rather recognize God’s presence in each and every moment along your path that He has set out for you.
