Tag Archives: fear

Performance-Based Living

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Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.
Matthew 6:1, NLT*

In Hannah Whitall Smith’s words, “What we do to be seen by men is seen by men—and that’s all there is to it.” (The God of All Comfort, p. 276)

Somehow that unlocks a new depth of meaning for me: the warning isn’t just “live to please God and don’t show off.” It’s also “don’t be a people-pleaser.”

Don’t do your good deeds to impress, but don’t do them to appease or placate. Don’t live and act in fear of rejection, fear of not measuring up, fear of being yelled at or misunderstood.

The enemy of our souls would whisper lies and inflame our fears of failure and rejection, but I don’t for a moment believe this verse says anything about a frowning God who will disqualify us from receiving something good if we’ve operated in people-pleaser mode. Or even if we’ve been showing off.

I do believe our motives will have cost us the reward we could have earned. It’s an opportunity cost, to use an accounting term. It’s not a punishment. God has the reward and wants to give it, but we have a part to play.

Holy and majestic God who hears our quietest prayer, forgive us for the times we’ve acted “to be seen by people” rather than to please Your heart. Thank You for saving us and for loving us too much to leave us in this damaged behaviour pattern. Thank You for today’s and tomorrow’s opportunities to do good with God-ward hearts and to earn that reward in the Holy Spirit’s power. Thank You for the freedom that confidence in You brings, including freedom from fear of other people.

∞

Here’s a classic Petra song: Godpleaser.

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fear of the God Who Loves Us

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Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.
Praise him forever!
Psalm 111:10, NLT*

Fear of the Lord is one of those things I’m still trying to understand, and I’m sure that people who try to scare others into the Kingdom of Heaven have missed the point.

But the Psalmist says fear of God is the basis for wisdom.

People explain it as “reverence for the Lord” and that helps a bit. Others say, “fear God or fear everything else.” That makes it a bit clearer.

Reading the book of Matthew in the New Living Translation, I feel like the proverbial penny has dropped. In Matthew 9 we have the story of Jesus saying to a paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven. Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”

Look at the crowd’s response:

Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority. (Matthew 9:8, NLT*)

Picture yourself in the crowd. I’d be afraid, wouldn’t you? This is power beyond our imagining. This is the God who is good, but not safe.

This is the God who is bigger than whatever situation threatens to paralyze me with fear. He doesn’t guarantee to provide a miraculous way out, but He does promise to be with me. And with Him in trouble is better than on my own in a safer place.

Holy and mighty God, a glimpse of Your power could undo us, yet we’re drawn to Your presence. Help us  understand and believe that we’re held in Your keeping, and that You are stronger than anything we could fear. Help us accept the paradox that in Your love and grace, You may not rescue us from what we fear, and help us trust that Your presence with us will somehow work even the darkness to good in Your time.

∞

Third Day’s “Consuming Fire” reminds us of God’s power.

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Jesus is in My Boat (re-post)

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[Jesus] then left [the Pharisees], got back in the boat, and headed for the other side. But the disciples forgot to pack a lunch. Except for a single loaf of bread, there wasn’t a crumb in the boat. Jesus warned, “Be very careful. Keep a sharp eye out for the contaminating yeast of Pharisees and the followers of Herod.”

Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus overheard and said, “Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don’t you see the point of all this? Don’t you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

They said, “Twelve.”

“And the seven loaves for the four thousand—how many bags full of leftovers did you get?”

“Seven.”

He said, “Do you still not get it?”
Mark 8:13-21, MSG*

The disciples have a loaf of bread. Jesus has recently demonstrated that He can multiply a little food to feed a lot of people. Yet they’re hung up on not having enough.

But Jesus is in the boat with them! If they stop to think, they’ll realize He’s all they need.

Many times I feel inadequate or uncertain about situations, afraid I’ll mess up or won’t do well. That fear can freeze me up and become self-fulfilling. I feel alone.

These verses tell me something precious: Jesus is in my boat, and He’ll be all I need.

Whether it’s energy, love, ideas: whatever’s needed, no matter how small my loaf, I need to offer it to Jesus, and to remember what He can do.

Father, I know You promised to never leave us, and You’ve given us the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. Forgive me for the times I panic and believe the enemy’s lies. Thank You for using these verses to finally help me see I’m never alone. Help me remember and be confident in the truth that Jesus is in my boat, and that He is enough.

Our song this week is my prayer: “Presence (My Heart’s Desire)” by the newsboys, from their Devotion CD.

*The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

[This is a re-post from 2009, but I needed to read it again.]

Knowing Where God Is

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God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalm 46:1-3, NIV*

This is one of those classic comfort passages. I heard it read at a recent meeting, and it started my mornings for the next few days.

Part-way through the first day, an idea came to mind that really helped my outlook, and seeing these verses in print the next day showed me where it came from.

Yes, there is stress here. But God is here too.

God is “ever-present.”

I knew that. I really did.

“Therefore we will not fear…” Whatever may happen in the future.

I knew that too, although it’s a challenge, and I’m pretty good at reminding myself “Jesus will be there.”

But what about the present? Our family is in a moderately stressful season. I tend to over-focus and make it worse than it is (hence all these stress/gratitude posts… they’re what God is saying to me because they’re what I need to hear).

I’ve been hanging onto God, trusting Him to provide a solution. That’s good. But time is passing and I’m still stressed. I want to rest in Him, be at peace and anxiety-free in the waiting.

Intentional, relentless thanksgiving helps. So does praising God for who He is.

Still there are a lot of “moments.” Perhaps accepting that fact is a step on the journey.

I think I’ve been seeing my stress level as a sort of pass/fail in how well I’m trusting God. On one level, it is: am I serene in Christ, or panicking?

But real life is stressful. Noticing that fact isn’t failure. Remembering that God is in it with us is success.

Faithful God who promised to never leave us, God of mercy, love and justice who is mighty to save, teach us to rest in Your character and rely on Your presence. No matter what this moment holds. Or the next. Yes, there is stress. But You are here. Right now. With us. In that will we rest.

∞

Jeremy Camp’s song, “Right Here,” reminds me that’s where God is.

*THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Goal: No Fussing

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Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD—
now and always.
Psalm 131:2-3, NLT*

Some days I fight the good fight, and some days anxiety sneaks in there as fast as I can push it out. Self-pity swirls into a whirlpool, and the best I can do by holding onto God is to keep from going down the funnel.

I tell myself the truth about God, but then I look back at the feelings. Can’t seem to help it.

These verses are where I want to be, to rest.

A weaned child… able to sit on a parent’s lap, or to play nearby, not fussing or seeing Mommy as only a source of “what I want.”

Some parents can’t provide, even healthy mother’s milk if malnutrition is severe enough. Some parents won’t provide. Won’t love.

What do I know of God? He can meet my needs, when and how His wisdom knows is best. And He always loves me.

Abba God, Papa, whisper quiet to my soul so I can rest as if in Your arms, secure in Your love and provision without the incessant clamour of anxiety. I can’t deny the realities and possibilities that tempt me to fret, but I can believe in You. Help me trust You more.    

∞

Here’s Phil Wickham’s soul-encouraging song, “Safe”.

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Anxiety-Busting

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David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
1 Samuel 17:45, NIV*

Other translations render “the LORD Almighty” as “the Lord of Hosts” or “the Lord of Armies.” A devotional in the Names of God Bible makes the new-to-me point that this doesn’t just mean the warriors of heaven, but the forces of nature and the physical earth. And people. You and me.

Because I’m confident in God’s love, I find courage in verses that remind me of His strength and authority. Like the angelic army that stood ready to defend the prophet Elisha. Like the storm quieting at Jesus’ command.

When anxiety seeps into my spirit I fight it with deliberate focus on God, determined praise for who He is and what He does. Music helps. The other day when I was struggling, He pierced the oppression with the song “You Shine”.

These are battles we can’t fight on our own, although we’re called to give our best effort. I’m learning that as I do my part, the Holy Spirit is so ready to meet me there. Not always right away, but if I persist He’ll eventually make His presence known. He’s there all along, but I can’t grow if I don’t practice depending on Him even when He’s silent.

Mighty God, Lord of Hosts, who loves us, thank You for the promise that You are with us. Thank You for Your light in our hearts and your grace that frees us. We’re under Your authority and Your protection. Our times are in Your hands. Help us not to fear, but to trust and obey. And I praise You for the many times and ways You rescue us from anxiety and despair. You are good, and worthy of worship.

∞

Here’s Brian Doerksen’s “You Shine.” Let it anchor you in God’s strength.

*THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Feelings and Emotions

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He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Isaiah 53:3, NIV*

I’ve been writing a lot lately about the deceptiveness of feelings and how we need to trust God instead of ourselves. I’m still learning, thinking it through on-screen, discovering what it means in my own life.

For me, the emphasis has been on not believing false feelings: the vague unease, dissatisfaction or sadness that can have me living “in the dumps” instead of in the confidence in my heritage in Christ.

Then there are true feelings, and I’ll call them emotions to help me see this clearer. Things like grief, fear, loneliness. Anger. Happiness—why does that one not come around as much as the others?

Jesus experienced emotions. There’s nothing wrong with them, and I think they’re a key ingredient in what makes us human. It’s not healthy to suppress or deny them, but we still can’t let them rule us.

Recognizing them can help us rely on God’s sustaining grace in our daily lives. In the words of author/speaker Grace Fox, if we feel fear over something God calls us to do, we need obey anyway—to “do it afraid.” Or sad, or whatever.

And He is calling us to do things. If angry, we’re still responsible to refrain from delivering a sinful response. Grieving, to treat others in love.

God our Maker, You know our weakness and You promise to give wisdom when we ask. Teach us to discern between deceptive feelings and genuine emotions. Teach us to rely on Your truth and to reject the lies. And help us rightly handle our emotions so we’ll live as genuine humans who trust Your care, neither denying what we feel nor being ruled by it. 

∞

There aren’t a lot of songs about true emotions and about the lie that we shouldn’t express them. Here’s Don Francisco’s “It Ain’t No Sin to Get the Blues.”

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Fear and Lies

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You grumbled in your tents and said, “The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.”
Deuteronomy 1:27, NIV*

It seems we have a propensity for believing lies over the truth.

I’ve been working through the study material with Robert S. McGee’s book, Search for Significance. This week’s lesson included listing some of the lies the devil has told us. Identifying them is the first step in replacing them with truth.

With that in mind, Moses’ words above struck a chord. He’s referring to the people’s reaction to the spies’ report of the Promised Land, when instead of entering the land they ended up wandering in the desert for 40 years. (See Deuteronomy 1)

Wow. We’re not usually so open in articulating the issue, or at least I’m not. I’ll feel anxious or put upon, maybe discouraged or even resentful, and in the past I haven’t investigated the feeling’s origin to root out the lie.

You can hear the fear in the Israelites’ words. And there were indeed giants in them-thar hills. But instead of bringing their fear to God, remembering that He’s bigger, relying on His promises, they went the other way with it and accused Him.

We may be more subtle, but don’t we do the same? Too often we listen to the doubts and believe the lies instead of standing on the truth.

Holy and sovereign God in whom is no lie or shadow, if not for Your grace, patience and love, we’d be doomed. Teach us to recognize the enemy’s lies and to rely on Your word and Your character. Thank You for setting us free; now help us learn to live in that freedom and in confidence in You.

∞

This week’s song is Casting Crowns’ “Voice of Truth.”

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Handle With Care

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Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15, NIV*

Don’t you love it when God takes a verse you’ve known for years and shows you something new in it?

What does it mean to correctly handle the word of truth?

Well, if we prayerfully study the Bible, mindful of context and culture, looking for what God really says instead of for ways to justify our own opinions, we’re learning to handle it correctly. We can learn to live by its precepts and to trust God’s character. (And we need to learn how to share it appropriately as God leads, in a loving and non-aggressive manner, but that’s another blog post.)

This week I’ve seen another layer of meaning. Although it may be blindingly obvious to everyone else, my Wednesday posts are where I share what God is teaching me, so here goes:

To correctly handle the word of truth, we have to believe it.

Not just believe intellectually that it’s the inspired, inerrant Word of God, but believe the promises God whispers to our hearts and spirits.

Believe God instead of believing the lies.

If I’m feeling scared, am I going to believe the fear and its many whispered lies about inadequacy and failure, or believe the truth? God is with me. In Christ I can do all things. And if I fail, He can do something with the pieces and He will still love me.

Feeling down, will I believe what that insinuates about my worth or will I receive the truth that God delights in me?

Last week’s post was about not believing the lies. And I’ve posted before about not believing our feelings. I don’t think I’ve clearly seen until now that not only do the feelings often lie, but that we have a choice over which source we’ll believe.

Promise-keeping God, thank You for Your written Word. Help us recognize Your truth, and help us to use that truth in defence against the lies of the enemy, of the culture around us, and our own feelings and misunderstandings. Help us believe You, not just in our minds, but in our hearts and spirits. Help us act on the truth You give, so that others can see the difference You make.

∞

 “You Shine” by Brian Doerksen asks why we should be afraid or discouraged when God is Who He is.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

How Irritating Are We to God?

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The LORD said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” Moses did just as the LORD commanded him.

The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?”
Numbers 17:10-14, NIV*

Do you ever think about how irritating it is for God to put up with us?

Yes, He loves us. He wants to rescue us from the mess we’ve dug ourselves into—even at the cost of His own Son’s life—but so many times we just don’t get it.

I’ve been reading the account of Moses, how God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt to bring them into the promised land: a place of peace and safety where they won’t be slaves anymore.

All they do is grumble and complain and wish they were back under Pharaoh’s thumb. The context of today’s passage is that some of the people accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much authority, of elevating themselves as better than the rest.

God settled it in dramatic fashion, destroying the usurpers. The people hurled more accusations, and God sent a plague. You can read the whole account in Numbers 16.

So God told Moses to get a staff from each of the tribal leaders, including Aaron. “The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.” (Numbers 17:5, NIV*)

Next day, when Moses collected the staffs, Aaron’s “had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.” (Numbers 17:8, NIV*) The others remained inert sticks of wood.

All this to give the people an enduring sign of approved leadership, so they’d quit complaining and would not die. And what do they immediately do?

God’s trying to protect them and they yell, “We’re all gonna die!” And they exaggerate: “We can’t even go near the tabernacle now!”

What if they’d trusted and obeyed?

What if we trusted and obeyed, instead of misunderstanding and overreacting?

Holy and patient God, how simple life would be if we’d just let You shepherd us, instead of trying to be in charge of our own lives. You tell us to trust You and not rely on our own understanding. But like sheep we’ve all gone astray. Teach us to seek You first, to trust You. To stop ascribing frightening motives to You and instead remember You are the only trustworthy one. Help us believe You instead of trusting our own fallible understanding.

∞

Todd Agnew’s song, “Shepherd,” speaks to where we too often find ourselves.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.