Fear, Lies, and Love

This is our second stop on the scenic route to the next part of the trauma-informed Gospel series.

Do you believe that Jesus can be trusted with your fear?

Often I’ve operated under the assumption that if I ask God to help me with something, that I then need to “be strong” in my faith by not admitting any nerves or anxiety I have about the situation – as if the presence of uncertainty or doubt somehow invalidates my request, or proves that I don’t really believe God would want to, or be able to, help me.

What fear actually proves is that there’s a piece of my being that needs to be flooded with love.

What I’ve come to realize is that I don’t have to fake my faith with Jesus and hide my fears... as if he wasn’t already fully aware of them. I can tell him exactly what my concerns are, because he loves me. He welcomes them, and gives me peace in exchange – even before the situation I’m worried about is resolved.

How subtle and clever is the liar who says that if I share my fears with my Creator I’ll be condemned, when the truth is that admitting and giving our fears to God frees us from them, and it’s actually the hiding of our fears that keeps us imprisoned.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18‬

“...casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭