“Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” Mark 4:41 (NIV)

Your Fear – Afraid Series – Part 5

Go to PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  PART 4  |  PART 5  |  PART 6

Fear itself is not the enemy. Our inability to respond to it is.

Fear robs us of our ability to be present in the moment. We’ve all been in situations where fear has curled around our hearts and minds, taken over our senses and run away with our imaginations.

The things that I’ve done, said, and lost under the influence of fear are too many to count. But Christ is teaching me; the Divine is helping me, to be present in every moment, even when fear shows up. To stay calm; guarded by peace and led by faith (trust).

The Bible tells us not to be afraid. But on the flip side, it also tells us to fear God. It can be confusing at the best of times.

The story in Mark 4 where the disciples were crossing the lake in a boat while battling a horrific storm that Jesus eventually calmed with a simple command, finishes with this:

“The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:41).

The disciples were so afraid of the storm that they woke up Jesus and begged him to save them. Then, they watched on as he DID save them. And their response? They were “absolutely terrified.”

What?!

There are two types of fear. There is a fear that diminishes, intimidates and paralyzes – it steals our awareness and presence.

Then there is fear that is more reverence and awe, than trembling and shaking. You feel it when you realize that you’re in the presence of something far greater than yourself.

We catch glimpses of this fear in our lives in funny little ways: our heroes, our children, our love, nature, human ingenuity, and more.

God, the Divine and Infinite, is terrifying and awesome in grace and love and acceptance. Each time I stand up to my fears, ready to cross over and through them, present in mind and heart in their midst, I find myself in the incredible presence of the one who leads me through and guides me to the other side.

What is more miraculous? Having Christ defeat your fear while you're cowering in the corner? Or Christ empowering you to walk through your fear?

Maybe at different times and in different seasons of our lives, both are just as miraculous as the other.

Don't be afraid of God. He loves you and he is for you, just as he loves and is for us all. When you discover how great, and all-encompassing God is; that beautiful and terrifying moment where you realize you are in the presence of the one you cannot even describe in words, you might fall to your knees. But not in fear and trembling; in hope and joy and thanks. Relief.

Don’t run from your fear, don’t waste all your energy fighting it with your words and declarations and quotes and flailing limbs: an embodied tantrum in the face of what you can’t understand and explain.

Still your heart, (“Peace be still”) and allow the love of God to transcend and include your fear, taking you to a place where it no longer controls you, but teaches you what is precious and holy.

Over to you… So what are you gonna do with fear now? Leave us your comments below.

Go to Part 6 – Be Brave »

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