Since Christmas has arrived in Branson, I’ve been reminded of The Christmas Story. The angels who appeared to Mary and Joseph both began their messages with “Do not be afraid.” After His birth, the angels who came to the shepherds declared the same: “Do not be afraid.”
The topic of fear had already been on my mind for a few weeks. I had read something interesting in Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” book. Speaking from Jesus’ perspective, she writes “Let Me free you from fear that is hiding deep inside you. Sit quietly in My Presence, allowing My Light to soak into you and drive out any darkness lodged within you.”
It got me thinking: Do I have fears hiding inside? Probably. So I decided I would write them all down. (By the way, in this article I don’t mean trepidation over a slithering snake or dizzying heights. We can often avoid those types of things. I mean serious negative things that we may not be able to avoid. Of course, they may or may not happen, but the very possibility brings on dread.)
Maybe because of my stage in life (not a spring chicken), my Fears List grew quickly to four pages, something I’m not proud of.
After I had finished my list and put it away, I remembered two more things that I worry about but had forgotten to record, so I rushed to add them. It seemed silly that I felt compelled to add the ones that had slipped my mind (why admit to even more fears?) but I did it anyway.
Well, it turned out to be a good thing that I pulled that inventory back out. Why? I noticed that in almost every case after I had documented something that scares me, I had spontaneously entered a short prayer.
But what excites me is this: I am living out a Scripture that I have often told people is my favorite: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)
My worries had been shaped into prayers just like it says in Philippians. You may recall these old lyrics written by Cristy Lane: “Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus . . . And He will turn your sorrows into joy.”
The phrases “Do not be afraid” or “fear not” appear in the Bible at least 60 times; some reports say as many as 365! Here’s one of my favorites: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV).
Sarah Young was onto something when she suggested how helpful it can be to bring our fears out into the light of day. I hope you choose to do so – and if you do, just please be sure to turn your Fears List into your Prayers List.
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