Don’t Be Afraid (1)

‘Why are you so fearful?’
Mark 4:40


Notice how the disciples reacted to the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and see if you recognise any of the same traits in yourself: 1) Fear makes us doubt God’s care. The disciples asked Jesus, ‘Do You not care that we are perishing?’ (v. 38 NKJV). They didn’t ask about His strength: ‘Can you still the storm?’ Or His knowledge: ‘Are you aware of the storm?’ Or His know-how: ‘Do you have any experience with storms?’ Instead they voiced doubts about His character: ‘Do you not care?’ If you let it, fear will erode your confidence in God’s love and make you forget His faithfulness. 2) Fear makes us reach for control. Jesus was asleep, so the disciples woke Him and said, ‘Do something, quick!’ Fear comes from a perceived loss of control. When we’re afraid, we grab for a component of life that we can manage - like our diet, or our job, or the neatness of our house, or in many cases - people. The more insecure we feel, the more controlling we tend to become. 3) Fear makes us forgetful. The Bible says, ‘He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick’ (Matthew 8:16 NKJV). What a résumé! But fear gives us spiritual amnesia; it makes us forget what Jesus has already done and how good He has been to us. And what was Jesus’ response? ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ Faith doesn’t eliminate fear; it silences it, robs it of its power, and draws us closer to God. And when that happens things begin to change for the better.

Luke 15:11-32, Ps 84-86


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Amen! I really needed this. I've passes through things in my life that sometimes I begin to ask God questions..but thank God for his grace

Amen!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.Marianne Williamson,A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

fear kills a coward a thousand times before his time

But a brave man dies but once

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Frank Herbert,

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than thesuffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.
Paulo Coelho,The Alchemist

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than thesuffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.
Paulo Coelho,The Alchemist

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than thesuffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.
Paulo Coelho,The Alchemist