Tag: fear

Surrender

On By betterbrokenIn What I'm LearningLeave a comment

Decision making.  I’ve struggled the past few months with this.

What is God’s will and plan for my life?  

How do I know?

What if I make the wrong choice?

As I’ve spent some time alone with God this month, I’m working on the following:

“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him”.  

I was asked to answer the very questions I was asking in my head along with others:

What percentage of your will are you willing to turn over to God? _____

What percentage of your life are you willing to turn over to God?  _____

What percentage of controlling behaviors are you willing to turn over to God?  ____

What percentage of your insecurity are you willing to turn over to God?  _____

What percentage of your worthlessness are you willing to turn over to God?  _____

If not all of it, why not?

Wow, if that didn’t hit the nail on the head!  It’s one thing to read through the questions.  It’s another to have to write down a percentage-and be honest with that.  I think many of us know in our heads the right answers.  We know in our heads that the right answer is 100% to all these questions!  But what I was challenged with was in my heart.  What this looks like to genuinely answer these 100% in my heart.

Surrender.

Surrender all.

We were asked to define surrender.  What does it mean to you?

I defined it as giving up myself to God/dying to myself.  Then I had to list specific ways I would do that with the things I am facing in life.

I think surrender can be scary.  I have a tendency to want to control the outcome-to know how things turn out…perhaps others do as well?  What God was revealing to me a few weeks ago was that I was powerless to control the situation in my life because I can’t control the choices of my loved one.  Converting this new-found knowledge to my heart in addition to taking on this new step is giving me the desire for complete surrender.

Instead of fear, surrender to me is:

  • peace
  • rest
  • security
  • joy

in my God who is abundantly able to do for me beyond what I can ask, think, or imagine.  Surrender is no longer bearing the weight of the burdens of this situation, but allowing God to work out the details according to His beautiful plan.  Surrender is taking God at His word-believing He is faithful in keeping His promise that He does have a plan for my life-a hope and a future.  Surrender is allowing others to come along-side of me, burying my pride, and growing in life’s journey together.  Surrender is allowing God to use this terrible ugliness and pain in my life to bring Him glory.

Surrender will be a daily, perhaps a several times a day process-but one I’m ready for.  I’m exhausted trying to live life partially my way instead of giving God complete control.  This beautiful old hymn is my prayer.  How about you?

“All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live!
I surrender all!  I surrender all!  All to Jesus I surrender, I surrender all!
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; fill me with Thy love and power, let Thy blessing fall on me!
I surrender all!  I surrender all!  All to Jesus I surrender, I surrender all!”

Crippling Fear

On By betterbrokenIn Prayers, Reflections, What I'm LearningLeave a comment

“If I were your enemy, I’d magnify your fears, making them appear insurmountable, intimidating you with enough worries until avoiding them becomes your driving motivation.  I would use anxiety to cripple you, to paralyze you, leaving you indecisive, clinging to safety and sameness, always on the defensive because of what might happen.  When you hear the word faith, all I’d want you to hear is unnecessary risk.” Priscilla Shirer in Fervent

This is exactly where I’d been…crippled, paralyzed, indecisive, concerned about what might happen, clinging to safety and sameness.

Image Courtesy:  http://freefoto.com/index.jsp

In reading this chapter of Fervent, Priscilla also shares that fear is one of Satan’s greatest ways in crippling God’s people.  I’d also been focusing on fear not being from God.

So I began to think, “If Satan is working this hard to keep me in fear and not moving forward, what amazing beauty and/or blessing from God is he trying to keep me from?”

My prayer for Confronting Fear:

God, I thank You that You don’t give me a spirit of fear but of power, love, sound mind.  I ask You to forgive me when I give in to fear and ask that You help me not to choose, wallow in, entertain, or make friends with fear.  You promise me a hope and a future.  Because fear doesn’t come from You, help me recognize Satan’s attacks to keep me from Your plan which is my destiny-my next challenge/opportunity to see Your glory on display in what You wish to do with my life.  You are fearless Lord-please give me the faith to be fearless in You.

When I’m afraid, help me choose to put my trust in God whose word I praise.  Instruct and teach me in the way I should go, Lord-counsel me with Your eye upon me.  Give me Your peace, not as the world gives.  Take away the fear that I allow to cripple me for I know that if Satan’s working overtime to make me fearful, there must be some blessing or beauty from Heaven He’s trying to divert me from.  Thank you in advance for that blessing and beauty and for Your work in my life!  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

Fear

On By betterbrokenIn Reflections, What I'm Learning2 Comments

Footsteps hitting the gravel road. IMAG1337_1 Lungs inhaling fresh air. Pre-spring warm sun hitting my face.  Working to clear my head.

Talking to God as I mulled over the thoughts in my head…I realize I’m afraid.

Fear

…God does not give me the spirit of this

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind
(2 Timothy 1:7)

So my fear is coming from something other than God.

Opposite of fear to me is trust so my response is instead of fearing, I need to trust God.

What does God give me?

  • Power
  • Love
  • Sound Mind (other translations call this discipline or self-control)

So what does this mean?

In thinking through this, I’d already said I’ve learned I’m powerless, so wasn’t sure exactly how to explain how God is also giving me power.  So I went to Matthew Henry’s commentary for a deeper interpretation which said,

God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties and dangers; the spirit of love to him, which will carry us through opposition. And the spirit of a sound mind, quietness of mind. The Holy Spirit is not the author of a timid or cowardly disposition, or of slavish fears. We are likely to bear afflictions well, when we have strength and power from God to enable us to bear them.

What does this look like in my life?

To me, it’s first recognizing when I’m fearful, calling it out and choosing to surrender it to God.  It’s asking God for His power and strength, daily…moment by moment…to get through the next task, step, opposition, affliction.  It’s courage in moving forward in complete trust in my God whose promises have never and will never fail me.  And it’s falling and getting back up when I give in to fear as God continues to create in me a better broken.