There’s an acrostic for fear that goes like this.
F-orget
E-verything
A-nd
R-un!
God doesn’t want us to run from fear but to be strong and courageous. He wants us to experience life abundantly! And yet, I’ve always found it interesting how the concept of playing it safe makes people choose to be miserable over being happy.
To have a life that you love requires some type of risk taking. You must learn to step out of your comfort zone and confront your fears. When I took a lean on faith, confronted my fears and trusted in God’s provision, a new life began to emerge based not on what I felt or feared, but what I believed. I believed God.
I know what you’re thinking. It’s easier to say we believe than it is to actually do it. So often we trust God in the abstract. Yes, he is a trustworthy God. Yes, he can save sinners in general. Yes, he will work it all out, generally speaking, for my good. But when the rubber meets the road, how do we take that first step of faith? What’s holding us back? Why do we give our cares to God and then retrieve them?
These are the question I address in today’s video. Happy Viewing!
Our Challenge: I am not God. I need God. Today, I will trust God with one specific care.
Discussion Question: We will go to any extent to avoid pain than we are to gain pleasure. What pain are you hoping to avoid? Can you give that pain to God today?
Claret says
Forget Everything And Run – I can really relate. Despite all the fearful scenarios that go thru my head and my driving challenges, I have not experienced anythbing that I feared. God has always appeared in one way or another whether it be my little tools – gospel music, calling a friend, remembering Psalm 91, gentle self talk. I just keep going on. As I go on, He reveals more of himself to me. It has been a long time since that first panic attack and many medications that I was afraid to take, therapy sessions, and finally acceptance that panic was not going to kill me but moments of being uncomfortable that were bearable as the Holy Spirit brought the appropriate teacher into my life as I needed them. I must be honest in saying that everything I had to go through was needed in order for me to find a Savior who loves and cares for me. My immediate challenge is that I will take my grandson to his fitness program. I will have support to help me find a route and everyday that I go, I will take God with me. Thank you for this study. I am ordering my book today. Blessing, beloved.
Micca says
Claret,
Thanks for sharing that testimony and welcome to the study!
Meg says
The pain I am hoping to Avoid is dying of cancer or some other form or disease or seeing one of my loved ones suffer from those I think especially of my mom and dad. I have breast cancer that runs in the family. So I a
Fearful of that too
Micca says
Meg, I think we all fear seeing a loved on ill or catching a dreadful sickness ourselves. Instead of worrying about what might happen, I choose to praise God for the good health my family has today. Be blessed, friend
Melanie Shannon says
I just dropped my 18 year old son off at college which is 6.5 hours away. I am trusting God with him and God has been faithful in comforting me. Currently we do have a situation with my husband & his brothers over his mother’s estate. Greed is an ugly thing. I hate to see my husband hurting and I want to fix it but this is beyond me. I have to turn it over to God to restore our family. Father God I can’t fix this but you can and I trust the situation to you. Father God you are working diligently with my bil, Dale and the Holy Spirit is moving. Nothing would be better that to see Dale accept you as his Lord & Savior. Please don’t let anything his brothers say or do hinder the work you have started. I love you Lord & thank you for faithful servants like Micca. Bless her & her family today. It is in Jesus might name I pray! Amen
Micca says
I’m praying with you for the salvation of your husband and your situation with his family. I hope others will join in! Perhaps we’ll see that miracle take place as we journey together!
Charlotte says
You know it’s sort of a “funny” thing. I’m the wife of a police officer and many ask me about whether or not I am fearful of him getting hurt or killed or in intense trouble because of what he deals with daily. Really, I’m not afraid, because I trust him in his job and trust his coworkers and rest easy that God is caring for him each evening. The oxymoronic thing about this is that though I am not fearful of him or his job, my biggest fear is loneliness, or not belonging where I thought I should. I’ve experienced different circumstances, some very close to my heart, where I just didn’t fit in and it hurt. I want to be a part of it. And the loneliness? My husband will be gone for training out of state of six weeks and I will have to manage the household and children and my job……alone. AHH!! What a scary word. In talking this over with God I am reminded that He never leaves us alone. So today, tomorrow, the next day, so on and so forth, my prayer is to recognize His moment by moment presence. It’s not easy especially when I do have to do something by myself, but prayer and music and Scripture help.
Carol says
I want to avoid being hurt and alone. Many times throughout my life this has happened and has been very painful. I have learned to keep my distance and not let anyone close for my own protection. Now, where do you think I am all alone and hurting because of that. I have broken down the walls enough to let a friend in and we have become fairly close over the past few years. The problem now is that it feels like we don’t get to see each other or talk as much as we used to and it feels like I’m losing her too. So, becuase I have such trust issues I find myself pulling away from her and all the ladies that we worship with to try and work this out. Praying, reading scripture, listening and waiting on the Lord – without much progress. I’m just tired of hurting and being so alone.
Melissa says
Oh Carol I know exactly how you are feeling. I am carrying you in my heart and praying for you. Have you asked your friend what is going on? I know that in the past, when I have felt that way about someone it was a work of doubt Satan was planting in me and my friend had no idea I felt that way. Love you sister and while I know it is hard to feel sometimes Jesus knows what you are going through as well and He had the same doubts about his friends!
Melissa says
Last night I gave God control over my anxiety issues. I have not been able to go anywhere alone the past couple months unless I am with someone who I consider a safe person. I have been especially avoiding church because the anxiety is strangely worse around those I know are going to love on me. So, last night there was a meeting at church God was calling me to attend so I set up meeting one of my safe people in the parking lot. I arrived and saw her car there but she was not. I knew that meant she was inside. I got back in my car ready to leave but instead I turned to Jesus. I prayed and just stopped and sat in my car getting pumped up with His power and I walked in, not alone but knowing God was right there with me and then he kept delivering victories: I was able to share that testimony, interact the whole night and even stay after and help clean up and all medicine free! God is great.
Claret says
Melissa, I so understand those emotions. I have safe people who I drive with and when I drive alone, I lean on Him. He is with us. I will keep you in prayer!
Holly says
Hard to pick one thing. I “know” too much. “Know” not to worry about tomorrow. “Know” God will provide as He always has.” But sometimes it is hard to look beyond the current circumstances to see what God can do instead of what will happen if He doesn’t intervene. If anything happens to my Daddy (whom I currently live with & in some ways takes care of me) I will have no where to go. Due to health problems I am pretty much home bound and unable to work right now. My mom has my Grandmother (Granddad died in March & my Dad in July so now she just has GM), so there isn’t room for me besides the fact that she can’t physically or financially care for me. Then I have to wonder why I do this to myself. God has always provided and I know He is not going to let me end up on the street & in fact has started the process for figuring out what is going on. Daddy’s knee surgery will be a temporary inconvience and otherwise he is in good health and worrying about it doesn’t help one bit. Learning to sing songs reminding me of God’s promises and if can’t do that, settle for a simple “God help” until settle down enough to talk about it.
Michelle Cornthwaite says
Hi Micca I have spent more than half my life trying to save my marriage, but just this week, my husband has written to me declaring that he wants a divorce, this has always been my greatest fear, but today the Lord has asked me to give my husband and my marriage to HIM, to cast ALL my cares on HIM, what an awesome God we serve, thank you for your word in season,and for your book, God Bless You, Michelle
Cheyenne says
Thanks so much for this awesome blog, Micca. I read your book when it first came out and was so glad to find you online. Worrying, anxiety, and stress over things I want to control has been my biggest area of struggle in life. Right now I’m trying to give my visa situation over to God. I’ve been living abroad for 5 years and recently married my lovely husband, and now am waiting on news from my 4th visa application to stay in the UK. I’ve no reason to believe it will go awry, but these sorts of things always make me nervous and stressed and until it’s in my hand, I feel like my future is uncertain – and without my passport I can’t travel home to see family since the wedding, or travel anywhere. Some folks are waiting up to a year for their visa to be processed, and right now, in the midst a lengthy time of unemployment for me and desire for some security, I’ve been struggling harder than ever to be patient and trust. I keep picking this worry up, almost every day, after trying to give it to God the day before. Your video yesterday was so timely. I want to let go of this for good, because God’s never lead me astray before. My worries overtake my ability to enjoy life and just breathe, and I want this to be the year I stop holding on to them, because I can’t make things turn out okay in my own power. God bless you, Micca!
Laura says
After 2 years of sobriety my husband drank again. “It was only one night” I keep telling myself. “It was only a slip” I keep telling myself. “God is in control” I keep telling myself. But Satan’s voice is so strong in my ear. “It’s happening again” he says. “Your world is going to fall apart” he says. I know I have to let God’s promises be louder than the enemy’s voice. God knows what I am afraid of. I am His daughter, my husband is His son. I can’t handle this but He can and He will. Psalm 139:5-6 “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great to understand.
Thank you Micca for this study! For letting me know that I am not alone in wrestling with my fears!