Inspiration

It’s our duty to pull back the curtains, to expose our fears, each and every one. Like vampires, they can’t stand the sunlight. Financial fears, relationship fears, professional fears, safety fears — call them out in prayer. Drag them out by the hand of your mind, and make them stand before God and take their comeuppance!

Jesus made His fears public. He “offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Hebrews 5:7). He prayed loudly enough to be heard and recorded, and He begged His community of friends to pray with Him.

His prayer in the garden becomes, for Christians, a picture of the church in action — a place where fears can be verbalized, pronounced, stripped down, and denounced; an escape from the “wordless darkness” of suppressed frights. A healthy church is where our fears go to die. We pierce them through with Scripture, psalms of celebration, and lament. We melt them in the sunlight of confession. We extinguish them with the waterfall of worship, choosing to gaze at God, not our dreads.

The next time you find yourself facing a worst-case moment, do this. Verbalize your angst to a trusted circle of God-seekers. This is an essential step. Find your version of Peter, James, and John. (One hopes yours will stay awake longer.) The big deal (and good news) is this: you needn’t live alone with your fear. 

As followers of God, you and I have a huge asset. We know everything is going to turn out all right. (From Fearless by Max Lucado)

Taken from The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible