If you are ashamed to return to the Lord, remember, He chose you before the worlds began, and He loves you with an everlasting love. You need not fear. Repent and rejoice in God’s embrace.
Years ago, I read a wonderful book called The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith. At that time, I was in the throes of suffering from debilitating anxiety. This book was such a comfort to me and one that I probably should read yearly as a practical reminder of the sovereignty of God and His care for me.
The author gave several analogies in the book of things we do with a natural trust, not even batting an eye. For instance, when we sit in a chair, we expect that it will hold us and that it won’t break under our weight. (I realize this can happen, but very rarely. lol.) We don’t approach the chairs we sit in with fear and trepidation, wondering, “Will it hold us up this time, or will it fail us to our injury?” In fact, we don’t even think about its ability. We just trust the chair will do its job. She also talked about going to restaurants where other people prepare our food. We trust that they will prepare the food in a safe manner without fear of food poisoning and look forward to enjoying the fruits of their labor. In both instances, whether it be the builder of the chair or the person physically preparing our food, we naturally trust their abilities without fear. The reason the author brought these examples up was to make the point that if Creator God, who is sovereign over all and whose will prevails, is watching over us, His children, why would we ever not trust His abilities in our personal situations? Yet, sadly, too often, we don’t…
Why is this? Why don’t we approach life expecting the ability of the Sovereign Lord to sustain us and provide for us? I believe there are three reasons why this may be the case. Let’s identify them and look at how we can overcome our fear:
1. Fear of Man
"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?" Psalm 118:6
The fear of man comes in all shapes and sizes. Although physical harm could certainly be in the realm of possibility, thankfully, it’s usually not the norm. However, sadly, emotional harm is becoming all too common these days, which can render a person paralyzed for fear of how a person could impact their life based on any threats made. Domestic violence survivors of emotional and psychological abuse often say that they would’ve rather been physically hit than suffer the wounds to their minds. We certainly live in a fallen world…
Indeed, these are very real reasons to fear, and in no way would I imply that a person is being ridiculous for feeling this way, but I think Abram can shed some light on how situations can play out in a way contrary to what was feared:
“It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, "This is his wife"; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.' It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels. But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, 'What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, "She is my sister," so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.' Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.” Genesis 12:11-20
Here we see that Abram feared for his life, so he set out to deceive Pharoah. God did not stand for Sarai being with Pharaoh and struck them with plagues. After all was said and done, Pharaoh let Abram and his wife go. Instead of trusting God and believing His promises when he first left his land and countrymen, Abram took things into his own hands out of fear rather than seeking the Lord for wisdom. He thought he could solve his fear by his own plan. What’s even more amazing is that you can see the shock and anger of Pharaoh, where it appears that he wouldn’t even have considered taking Sarai knowing she was Abram’s wife. So it's possible what Abram feared would’ve never come to fruition.
Too often, we choose to trust our circumstances over trusting God. We make assumptions about a person or what they might do and allow that fear to paralyze us into submission when it more than likely won’t even play out the way we feared. Instead, we must seek the Lord in prayer for whatever situation we find ourselves in and ask Him for wisdom on how to proceed. Above all, we must remember His promises and His sovereignty.
Of course, if anyone finds themselves in a dangerous situation, they should pray for direction on where to go and not stay in that circumstance. But the bottom line is that it is important to choose to trust God when we feel fearful of man and not allow others to dictate how we think about ourselves or our situations.
"So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?;" Hebrews 13:6
2. Fear of God’s Plan
Am I the only one who struggles with this? It’s okay if you admit this. We are in good company…
Abram’s wife Sarah didn’t choose to trust God that He would provide a son, fearing it wouldn’t happen because of her old age. Instead, Sarah devised her own plan and had Abram sleep with their slave Hagar to give them an heir. Things didn't go well after that, and it caused all manner of heartache and strife. Sarah essentially tried to play God out of fear of her circumstances rather than choosing to trust what God promised.
Then we have Rebecca, Isaac’s wife, who deceived her husband into thinking that he was blessing his firstborn, Esau, but he was actually giving the blessing to her favorite son Jacob. From that point on, Jacob’s life was in danger because Esau was constantly pursuing him out of bitterness, which I’m sure caused much grief to Rebecca’s heart. Both of these examples show that being fearful hurts us more in the end than what we actually feared.
I don’t know why we feel that we know better or know the best way to solve our problems. We don’t know the beginning from the end, but the Lord does. We didn’t set an eternal plan in motion for our lives, but God did.
Whenever we feel fearful of God’s plan and intend to concoct what we think is the best plan for our circumstances, we must redirect our minds to God’s promise, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11). God is our Heavenly Father. He would never harm us. He knows what’s best for us. His plan is far greater for us than anything we could conceive.
So the next time you fear God’s plan, check yourself and remember “To trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
3. Fear of Consequences
Ever since we were young, we have tried to avoid consequences that just cause more sin, whether it be lying or covering up what we’ve done. I’m hoping we all have grown up since then and don’t resort to this type of avoidance too often. However, as adults, our fear of consequences can be more subtle. It may present in the form of people pleasing or not standing up for the gospel or Christian values in certain company, fearing that we would be snubbed or discarded as a friend. We are seeking our own comfort rather than standing up for the One who suffered and died for our sins. Maybe the purpose of that interaction was because “He raised you up for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). And He will bless you because you stood up for Him.
Another way we may fear consequences is by avoiding God, thinking we did the unforgivable sin and not turning back to Him. If we find ourselves living in that fear, remember the story of the prodigal son and how the father welcomed him back with open arms! How much more will our Heavenly Father welcome us back!
The next time you fear consequences, remember "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). If standing up for the Lord would cost you a relationship, then that relationship isn’t from God. If you are ashamed to return to the Lord, remember, He chose you before the worlds began, and He loves you with an everlasting love. You need not fear. Repent and rejoice in God’s embrace.
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Let the above verse be the soundtrack to turn your fearful heart into one that trusts God in all things.
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