To the Fearful Girl

-   I’m scared of having no one.

-       I’m afraid of missing out.

-       I’m scared of not being accepted.

-       I’m scared of never being beautiful.

-       I’m afraid of failing.

-       I’m scared of being useless

-       I’m scared of looking weak.

-       I’m afraid of being a failure.

-       I’m afraid I’m not pure anymore.

-       I’m scared of loosing God’s love.

-       I’m afraid I’ll always feel this way.

-       I’m scared of never being enough.

        A recurrent battle throughout my life has always been fear. It’s a theme that has infiltrated my heart for as long as I can remember, rearing it's ugly head whenever it pleases. These fears are ones I wrote down a few weeks ago during a night where all the fears I thought I had moved on from bubbled back up to the surface. I turned to God's word for calm to see "Fear of the Lord" written in every passage I read. I wanted to know what really is fear, what does it mean when it says "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"? 

              We first have to start with what is fear? The dictionary defines fear as,  ""an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat." Well then why do we fear? We fear because we lack of faith in God and His promises.

                Well then did God create fear? Is fear ever a good thing?  God didn't create fear, fear is something that Satan uses to keep us from God. God does call us to reverence of Him, this is the "fear of God" that is talked about throughout the Bible.   A holy fear of God motivates us to trust His mercy so we can see more clearly what he has done for us in Christ. Fear is very good when it functions according to His purpose, which is to save us from caving into our own sinful nature. That’s why if you hear someone is God fearing it makes you trust them more.

                So then what does it mean to have a fear of God?   1 John 4:18 that says that, "perfect love expels all fear." So how can we fear God if he expels all fear? 

As William D. Eisenhower says,

           "Unfortunately, many of us presume that the world is the ultimate threat and that God's function is to offset it. How different this is from the biblical position that God is far scarier than the world …. When we assume that the world is the ultimate threat, we give it unwarranted power, for in truth, the world's threats are temporary. When we expect God to balance the stress of the world, we reduce him to the world's equal …. As I walk with the Lord, I discover that God poses an ominous threat to my ego, but not to me. He rescues me from my delusions, so he may reveal the truth that sets me free. He casts me down, only to lift me up again. He sits in judgment of my sin, but forgives me nevertheless. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love from the Lord is its completion."

So if God is the biggest thing to fear we can then with confidence look at the fears surrounding us and say, "What can you do to me?" Because we realize our God is so much bigger. 

John 15:13 says, "There is not greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends," with a love like that what is left to fear but God?  

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)