Fear, Beasty Around the Corner
Fear. It can paralyze us, keep us from going places that we really need to be going. Let me paint a picture for you by what I mean. I used to walk. I would put on my MP3 headset and set out for a glorious time of morning sunshine, exercise and Philips, Craig & Deans wonderful music. I would walk the neighborhood, spend about 30 minutes, I’d wave at familiar neighbors, high step over tricycles and admire the sweet aroma of a few flower gardens.
THEN one day the neighbors pit bull (BIG ugly beast) met me at the end of my lane just before striding onto the sidewalk. His broad shoulders, head down loudly declared I really shouldnt be crossing ‘his‘ line. His slow steps towards me proceeded to walk me back up the lane to my house, backwards. I knew NOT to turn and run, he would only see it as a chance to chase. Of course being of GREAT imagination, I briefly saw Breaking Headline News, “Local Woman Mauled by Unidentified Monster.”
When I got to my gate, I slowly reached back and opened it and slipped into the yard. THAT is when the beast saw he was loosing me and charged the gate. I had my pepper spray in my hand the whole time, that is when I chose to use it. Dead on, target 
reached. All those years of ‘silly string’ usage came in handy. However, it made him so MAD, he charged again, I SPRAYED again. He became bored with this game and finally pranced away, as I limped away emotionally from the fear and trembling. Following that incident, it took a couple of months to get the nerve to head out walking, I had such a fear and was confident I would run into the beasty around the corner again.
When I did muster up the nerve and got to the end of the lane, beasty stick in hand and pepper spray ready, Mr Pitbull was nowhere to be seen. Wahoo! Perhaps the ugly beast will never reappear. But my fear can not hold me back. Walk I did, again there was sunshine, familiar friends and lovely fragrant flowers.
There WILL be beasts around many corners. Ugly things that cause us fear and trembling. Wisdom will lead us to take precautions. But we can not allow them to keep us captive from setting out. When we do encounter them and retreat, then choose to stay put and rationalize we are ‘safe’ HERE, we may never find out later that the beasts are NO LONGER there. Much of the time the thing we fear is headline news broadcasting in our head, not necessarily awaiting us down the lane.
Nearly 75+ times we are admonished in the Bible to “Fear not…” or “Do not be afraid.” Yet it is a common default for us all. This fear causing us to lose hope, our courage and confidence. It weakens us and throws us into disorder and possibly a bit of chaos. It can birth dread and even impair our judgement. The ‘technical’ definition ‘Intellectual anticipation of evil evoking an emotion.’ Yup, beasty around the corner.
I LOVE the following words behind the “Fear not…” statements “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die … the Lord your God Himself will fight for you… for the Lord your God goes with you… for the battle is not yours, but God’s… for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” Just to mention a few.
Peter wrote to encourage Christians, “Cast all your anxiety/cares on Him because He cares for you.” (emphasis mine) – 1 Peter 5:7 These ‘cares’ are things that consume our thoughts, cause us to be drawn in a different direction, basically what is it that takes your eyes OFF of Jesus and disrupts our peace.
Jesus says, “I am leaving you with a gift—PEACE of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or AFRAID. – Jn 14:27 (emphasis mine)
Do you have a beast (or two) causing you to stay put, your hope and courage weakened? Please don’t allow it to paralyze you, get out there again.
Let’s pray: “Jesus show us YOUR power, folding us in Your love, clear our thoughts, allow discipline and discretion to guide us, so the beasts of our minds would NOT rule over us. In the power & authority of Your name, Amen.”
Stepping out against fear is freedom. No more beasty around the corner.
In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love & good deeds.” – Heb. 10:24)
Inspired Fountain 