Whimper, whimper, whimper. The little cries from the corner drew my attention. Mini, the family puppy, was again afraid of something - this time it was the gentle rain. "The rain is outside, it can't hurt the puppy - silly dog", I thought to myself. "It's OK Mini, you're fine, I'm right here", I found myself saying in my sweetest wanna-be-a-mom type of voice. The whimpering continued... "OK, I'll let you can come out of your cage", I said to Mini.
I'm not an expert on dogs, but Mini is the most fearful puppy I've ever known! She's afraid of everything - rain, being walked on her leash, eating food off the floor, and at times, she's even afraid of her master!
I couldn't help but think of myself. I haven't always been a competent girl living thousands of miles away from home, going door-to-door, giving Bible studies, living with people I've just recently met, and making friends with strangers. I don't think I was born with the gift of being able to talk to just anyone - though others might object - it's more something I had to get used to. So many times God has had to calm my fears and reassure me that He is right there with me leading me, and that I can go forward because He's in control.
I recently read a quote that said, "You have to want it more than you fear it." In some ways, I feel this statement is true. I wonder, How often are our fears a cry for more? A cry for freedom, a cry to be able to do what we know would be fulfilling - if we could be free from the fear of failure. A cry to experience more, a cry to be closer to someone, to pursue a dream, to work towards a goal. To have a deeper relationship with God, to have a closer relationship with friends or family.
It's amazing to me how many times in the Bible you can find the phrase "fear not". One of my favorite examples, is the story of Mary. She was a godly young woman, and yet she didn't know what to think when an angel appeared before her. Something about large, Divine, angelic beings, seems to instill fear into most finite beings. But when the angel said "Be not afraid," Mary was ready to obey, even though her lot in life as being the mother of the Messiah was not going to be the easiest.
What about us? How do we respond when God gives us a command and tells us not to be afraid? Do we hold onto our selfish fears, or do we go forward?
I can't say that I'm totally fearless yet, but I've come to realize when I step outside of my comfort zone, I experience a freedom in Christ that supersedes my previous fears. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18 . What are you willing to do for the love of Christ? What are you willing to do to show your love for someone? Whatever it is - it will be worth letting go of your fears!
