itsawonderfilledlife

There was the program on television, a few years back, called “Fear Factor” in which people got closer to a goal or prize by completing a fear-inducing challenge. The money was big, something like $100,000, and the challenges were equally daunting.

The challenges tested strength (and stupidity … but that is just my opinion) physically, mentally, and it was all about testing the contestants level of fear.

Although I did not watch the program, I do remember catching one of those challenges. The challenge for the contestants was for one of the contestants to be pushed through the ‘Tarantula Tunnel” by their partner. Start watching the following video at about 1:50 (and stop when you just cannot watch anymore):

EWIE!

That has to be a fear factor for many of us!

Creepy crawlies are certainly fear-inducing, but not all fears are so tangible. I would guess that most of the fears that we humans have cannot be touched, but they do seem to fall upon us, and they can create a feeling of being paralyzed. Many of the fears we have are about our future, our loved ones, health, jobs, tests and the list goes on. Sometimes we are fearful, and we do not even know where our fear originates.

Fears can result in stagnation in life, missing out on experiences or learning, not maturing in the area of problem solving, and even health issues. Fears can hinder our growth and development in life, hold us back, and even prevent us from living the life that is available to us.

The Bible speaks of fears frequently, and the message would seem to be consistent:

• do not fear
• be not afraid
• be anxious about nothing

The reason for not needing to be afraid is also consistent:

Putting our hearts, our souls, our lives into the hands of God, is to trust our heavenly father with all of our life … fears included. To allow fear to determine how we live our lives is to withhold that trust in God’s wisdom, care and perfect plan for our lives.

Fears will come, after all we are fully human, living in fully human conditions and bodies, but God has given us the ability to speak to Him, in prayer. He has also given us the community of believers who are His hands and His feet, who can share our burden of fear and also lift them up to Him. In praying to God, we are given the ability to lay our burdens down at His feet. We are able to leave them there.

And, “He, who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25

Read Full Post »