Facing FEAR with FAITH

Our family recently went through a time of uncertainty. While not going into the details, God used this trial to force us to rely 100% on God for our next steps. The situation was completely outside of our control, leaving us to have faith in: 1. God's plan and 2. God's timing. 

Over the years, I have realized that there are 2 paths that fear usually takes. Whenever we are thrown into a trial that is outside of our control, it is an opportunity to live in faith or to live in fear.

Here are two paths that fear can take:
1.To fear something is to fear that God is not in control of that something. 
2. To fear something is to fear that God’s will is not best for our life. 


Fear that God is not in control:

1. The first kind of fear is rooted in trusting God’s complete sovereignty (His eternal plan and control over all that comes to pass). Most of us believe in our head that God is in control, but what happens when a trial comes? I find that my head and my heart are often vastly different. ​

The storms of life test our theology.

When a trial comes our way, does our heart begin to fear?

Are we concerned at what the outcome will be?

Are we concerned that something will slip past God’s watchful care?

Usually our fear comes because, like Peter, we focus on the storm, not the Lord. We quickly forget that God controls the storms. And like Peter, we must fix our eyes on the Lord and take His hand as we walk through the storms of life.

We remind ourselves that He is in complete control. Practically speaking, we do this when we obey the command to “be still and know that He is God." Not only do we fix our eyes on Him, we also present our requests to God. "I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me." Psalm 57:2

When we present our requests to God in faith, we are placing our burdens on His back. We must be careful not to try to pick them up again. They are not meant for us to carry!

To fear something is to fear that God is not in control of that something. 


Fear that God’s will is not best for our life:
2. The second kind of fear is rooted in trusting God’s goodness. His goodness flows out of His being, He is loving and merciful toward us. When we fear that God may allow something into our life that is not for our good, then we are fearing that God is not going to be loving toward us.

We quickly forget that God is acting from an eternal perspective. He knows what will help conform us into the person He wants us to be. He knows what is best for our eternal good, not just our present comfort. Anytime our comfort is threatened, we begin to fear. Part of this fear is due to the fact that we love comfort. Our attention and focus is more concerned with improving or maintaining our temporal comfort than on improving our eternal joy.  So, when God lovingly throws us into a trial to provide an opportunity to improve our eternal comfort, we are fearful. We are fearful anytime our temporal comfort is threatened.

To help us combat this fear, we must fix our eyes on two things. First we must "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on. earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”. Col. 3:1-4 When we have a treasure that we can't lose, we have a confident joy that cannot be stolen.

The second part of this focus is to remember that God is lovingly acting for our ETERNAL GOOD. Trials have a purpose. They are meant for our eternal good. Like a master surgeon removing a cancer, God is refining our soul by removing sin. Pain is the path to pleasure, we can and must remember that all of God's acts, all that He allows us to endure, come from a loving God. God is a merciful God! "Be merciful to me, 0 God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by." Psalm 57:1 We can cling to the mercy of God. We may not be able to see through the fog of life how God will use our current trials to work for our good, but we can trust in His love and mercy. As we walk through the storms of life, we can't see what the future holds. But we hold onto our loving father’s hand because he sees beyond the fog. He will lead us on a good path. The best path!

To fear something is to fear that God’s will is not best for our life. 


The Result:
When we can fix our eyes on God, and hold His hand through the fog of life while trusting His mercy and His plan ~ the result is joy that spills into praise! "I will give thanks to you, 0 Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, 0 God above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” Psalm 57: 9-11

Life is full of trials, but in ministry and missions you will face even more. God desires to refine us, Satan desires to destroy us. How well we learn to walk in faith rather than fear will determine our longevity in ministry and missions.

When we fix our eyes on God, His complete control over all that comes our way and on His loving mercy that acts for our eternal good, then we can walk through the storms and fog of life with joyful confidence.

This doesn’t mean that the trials won't hurt, or that we merely frolic through life like a carefree clown with a painted smile! Rather we are deeply rooted in unshakable joy while confronting daily pain and loss. We are at peace.

Nothing gets to us that doesn't pass through the hands of God, AND nothing passes through His hands that is not for His glory and our eternal good.

Believing this in your head takes a day. Embedding it into your heart takes a lifetime…but the journey is worth it.

Serving together,

Kyle




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