Moving Through FearSample

You Are a Beloved Child of God

When we’re little, the list of things we fear may be quaint: the dark, the boogeyman, spiders, the mean dog next door. However, depending on your family or situation, you may have had next-level fears: the anger of an alcoholic dad, gun shots from the drug house down the street, bullies with hidden knives at school. Nowadays, we have the real fear of public shootings and bombings, even in parts of the country and world that have seemed relatively safe. Add to that the never-ending news threads on our social media feeds, and you have a recipe for constant underlying fear, anxiety, and even dread. 

Many of the social issues of our day are the fruit of fear—fear that we won’t be taken care of, fear that we won’t be seen or loved, fear that we won’t have enough. And these dynamics typically lead us directly to fearful or controlling behavior. Looking for and acknowledging our fears feels risky. But if we can come face to face with what we fear, we can see it in the light of God’s presence and find healing, freedom, and strength. 

In Psalm 81 we read, “I took the world off your shoulders, . . . You called out to me in pain; I got you out of a bad place. . . . I'm God, your God” (Psalm 81: 6, 7, 10 The Message). No matter your level of fear or anxiety, the reality is that you are never more than a whispered prayer away from remembering that you are the beloved child of a generous and loving God. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” This is not just a statement in the negative. It is an invitation to presence, an invitation to with-ness. Let the love of the Trinity— Father, Son, and Spirit—envelope you so that your fears pale in comparison to the union of relationship. 

Lord, I am your beloved child. I believe that you are generous and loving. And so I trust that you will meet me in my places of fear, anxiety and dread. Renew my vision of your love and care. I am crying out. Please meet me now.

Adapted from What Does Your Soul Love? Eight Questions that Reveal God's Work in You. Copyright ©2019 by Gem and Alan Fadling. Used by permission. For more information, please visit www.ivpress.com/what-does-your-soul-love.