I may not fear or be anxious about much, but I do struggle with these. The main area these 2 things pop up in is in public speaking. A bit ironic for my chosen profession, but that’s different as so many others I’ve met have agreed. In general, I hate being the center of attention. Unless I'm among friends or family, if I’m in the middle of a big group I just clam right up. If I can scoot by without being noticed, I’m a happy camper. All eyes turn to me and gulp, I’ll try to ignore that. If I needed to ask a question in class, it always worked out best if I sat closer to the teacher. Then it’s almost like a one-on-one conversation, and I’m good with those. If I sat in the back though, if I even thought of raising my hand, my heart would start pounding and I’d get so nervous that by the time I ALMOST got up the courage to raise my hand, the teacher had already moved on and I was left sitting there with the leftover adrenaline and cortisol in my system. If I actually had to present something, my voice and hands trembled. I’m just glad I’m not the type to get nauseous or faint.
Anyway, being more on the introverted side and generally loving my privacy, I don’t tend to share much except with a select few friends and family. Some things only my journal knows. The most private things only God knows because He knows everything and we’re cool like that. No, but seriously. I’m not the type to rush into anything. Let’s think about this, plan, and prepare. Make a list! However, they say that God doesn’t call the qualified, but that He qualifies the called. That’s tough. That requires taking a leap of faith and trusting Him, when everything else (the world, your parents, your fear) is telling you to hold on a minute. The Bible says not to fear men, but to fear God. It tells us to love God above everything and to love our neighbor. I haven’t always trusted God, but He knows what He’s doing. That brings me to my point. Little old me isn’t scared to write, most people probably won’t take the time to actually read it. Any of this. They’d much rather be watching television, Netflix, or YouTube. And that’s comforting to me. That means I don’t have to worry about what people will think or say, because they won’t have read it! Phew! But that’s not what God wants. I think He always gives us baby steps and doesn’t overwhelm us with everything all at once, but now that I’ve actually got the site up I have to put myself out there in order for people to have access to it. That does NOT sound fun. That’s scary. And when I look at the problems other people have faced, I’m like wow mine are NOTHING. And yet, so many have had similar struggles. I know I’m always edified when I see other people going through or speaking on things that I may have just been experiencing or thinking myself. It’s so encouraging. I want to encourage others like that. Besides myself, I’ve also seen how others have been transformed through Jesus, and I want to share that. We have been called to love others as Christ has loved us. So what do I do when I start to fear? Pray and read the living Word. And hope I don’t remain a chicken forever :) “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). So what can we learn from God and His word? A lot. Take for example Moses. God chose the foolish and weak to shame the wise and strong, so no human can boast except to boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). If you’re familiar with the story, you know about the parting of the Red Sea, the 10 plagues, turning water into blood and so on. Moses was just an ordinary man though, just like Jesus called regular fishermen and tax collectors to follow him. God works extraordinary things through ordinary means. Through a burning bush, God tells Moses to go rescue the Israelites, but Moses raises an objection each time. Who am I that I should be the one to go? What if they don’t believe or listen to me? God tells Moses He’ll be with him and some miraculous signs He’ll perform. Then Moses says he’s not eloquent. After God says He’ll help and teach him what to say, Moses still asks God to please send someone else! Man, these are all questions and concerns I have and probably most anyone that chooses to share their faith with others. You can read all the details in Exodus 3-4, but man. Moses, I feel you dude. I feel you. God, please be as patient with us as you were with Moses. Like myself, I hope you are convicted, inspired, and encouraged through the following verses from Scripture: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49). “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39). “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9) “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). “This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Comments are closed.
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DisclaimerWhile I love open discussions, not all internet users are kind. I'd like to build people up, not have others cut people down. Therefore, no comments, but feel free to email me if there's something you'd like to share with me. Archives
July 2020
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