Fear- Let's Talk About It

Fear.

Fear can paralyze us, make us not take that next step in fulfilling our dreams.

Let’s talk about fear, know it, claim it and push through barriers the devil puts in our way.

My Dad passed away this past November. I had always feared one of “those” phone calls.  I had thought about getting one of those phone calls in depth a few times, like seeing it happen in a movie, the next thing you know you have a runaway train of thoughts about what you would do in that situation.  Fear leads to anxiety ridden thoughts over the thing you fear, yet you still do not feel prepared when you are in the situation you have feared for so long.  Shocked, gutted, panicked, frozen; those words better describe getting a phone call that your Dad has had a heart attack.

It was during the next few months that I felt the Lord nudging me about fear, convicting me about the small and big fears that I backed away from. I believe it was a stage of my grieving that led me to push my anxiety to the back burner; thinking to myself: why would I be fearful if I have already lost my Dad and I survived it. 

The Lord was with me, I felt his presence every step I took, every decision I made, he helped me, calmed me. Things just seemed smaller, less of a big deal. Time on the other hand became much more precious, memories became like valuable heirlooms and I felt a rush to capture these now very important things. The Lord nudged again and I knew exactly how I was going to do this, photography.

I have loved photography for a really long time but had only been brave enough to take pictures of our kids and our family, until recently. The devil liked to tell me lies like 'well sure the photos look good to you, but not to anyone else.' or 'you thought that photo was amazing but it only got 4 likes on Instagram, you must not have real talent.'. 

A few months ago, I completed a morning devotional about living fearlessly; how to boldly walk through the doors that God opens for you. During this study, the opportunity arose for me to take engagement photos for the sweetest couple. My voice surprised me when I heard myself say “I can do it, I’d love to do it.” I am not going to lie, fear bubbled many times before the actual day of the photo session came but I persisted (I know the Lord made me keep going because I was really kind of nauseous just thinking about it). 

The session was successful and I am so glad to say that I did it! But it’s really not about me completing this photo session, it’s much bigger. It’s about looking back on your journey to seeing how the Lord changed your heart to be more like Jesus, how He worked things out for your benefit to show you His sweet grace and  how He forgives you for the fears you have let the devil place in your life for so long, this is His indescribable mercy.

Isn't breaking free from a bondage holding you back, in this case fear, so rewarding when you can see the Lord’s work in every part of your story?  So, yes, let’s talk about fear, know it, claim it and push through barriers the devil puts in our way. What fears do you hold in your heart? I pray you focus on Joshua 1:9 instead. Replace anxiety and fearful thoughts with the fact that the Lord calls you to be strong and courageous. He promises to be with you wherever you go. So do not be afraid.

This is my story,

Nikki Taylor

Fearless- Book Review

“Some books leave us free and some books make us free.”~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I agree with Mr. Emerson.  Fearless by Max Lucado is a book that can make us free if we will let it.  Of course, it’s not the book, but the message and the applying of that message that will free us.  Fear is a natural human emotion, but just like selfishness or greed, fear must be reigned in and controlled, or it may come to control us, or at the very least, hold us back from our purpose in life.

I’ve never read a Lucado book I didn’t love and this one is no different.  Fearless is a message of hope and courage, and much of it is straight from the pages of Scripture.  The one statement Jesus made more than any other recorded in the Bible is “Do not be afraid”.  This is amazing to me.  He takes our fears seriously, and He knew and knows that fear would be and is a real and debilitating force in many of our lives.

In this book, Max covers 13 different fears, from fear of not mattering to fear of not protecting my kids to fear that God is not real.  I personally identified with every single one of the fears he mentions and was filled with hope and assurance that each one can be combatted with prayer and faith in my loving Heavenly Father.  I was challenged to trust what I know is true, pray like never before and lean into others when I need help.

Here is just a small taste of some of the gems found this book…

~”When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god.  Can the safety lover do anything great?”

~”Nothing fosters fear like an ignorance of mercy.”

~”Prayer is the saucer into which parental fears are poured to cool.”

~”Storms are not an option, but fear is.”

~”When Christ is great, our fears are not.”

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, whether you willingly admit fear is an unwanted part of your life or not.  You will be blessed and encouraged and may learn how to help those of us who struggle with the very real weight of fear on a daily basis.  This is an easy read and will be worth your time.  You may even want to read it a few times.

Thank you, Max, for another superb book.

Happy reading, 

Miriam