With my fears

Everybody lives with fears. Even tough guys have fears. Which are yours?

Are you afraid of being laid off at work? personal bankruptcy? family breakup? being alone in your senior years? Are your children defiant and rebellious? Is your home in a high-crime neighborhood? Do you fear for your personal safety? Is your spouse violent?

Fear is a destructive emotion. It is good to think ahead, to be alert, to assess risks and dangers in your life. But fear means that you are already experiencing defeat. Fear doesn’t energize people—it paralyzes them and drains their energy. In his wilderness years, David, the future king, learned to master his fears through his faith and trust in the Lord: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:3,4).

Dump your fears in a bushel basket right now and carry them to God’s throne in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Give them to him. Don’t let Satan torment you even one day longer. Take three really deep breaths, and then celebrate the fact that Satan himself cannot take away Christ’s love, Christ’s forgiveness, Christ’s favor, and Christ’s gift of immortality. You are precious to the Father, and he will send his angels to help you at just the right time. You are already a winner; what remains are just details.

What can mere mortals do to you?