Who Told You to Be Afraid?

I stood at the counter, hands working quickly, with the pressure of dinner time quickly approaching. As I worked I felt the tightening weight of the day, of the week, of the month… So much pressure. So much to worry about.

It had been a difficult time of not enough.  Not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough sleep. Not enough patience. Not enough…

And the weight of it all was threatening to crush me on all sides.

I couldn’t escape the desperation and the heart-quickening that was occurring.  I was afraid.

Afraid that there would never be enough.  That I would be stuck. In this same place with no hope. And why should I hope when hopes had been dashed time and time again?

“God, you’re good. Aren’t you?  You have this…have me. Right?”

I couldn’t shake the concerns that led to more concerns that led to more.  Fear was rising.

It was justified fear. Things were going wrong in so many ways.  So very wrong. Things looked so glum.  Little hope.

I stood there working with my hands but my mind was far away.  Just as I felt like the weight of it all was squeezing all of the breath out of my lungs I heard these words:

“Who told you to be afraid?”

Who? Well, I don’t know but it seems like my only option.  Things are scary right now.

“Who told you to be afraid?”

I remembered a slithering snake whispering fear drenched words to a woman so long ago.  Be afraid. That you don’t have enough. That you are missing out.  That God isn’t providing well or what you really need.

Only they don’t sound like that. The sound like:

“You’re so overwhelmed. You’ll never catch up.”

“Another unexpected bill? You’ll never have enough. ”

“Again the car broke down. What next? You can’t handle this.”

“Your kids don’t listen to you. You are failing as a parent.”

“You lost it again? Your kids are going to despise you when they grow up.”

“See, this is just one more awful thing you have to endure.  Better try hard to have a good attitude or else.”

And again I hear the words “Who told you to be afraid?”

I hit the wall of being able to listen to these fear soaked lies and believe them. It’s because I know that He, my perfect Father, never tells me to be afraid. Quite the contrary.  He says to never be afraid and that He, perfect love, casts out all fear.  ALL fear.

I was set free in that moment from the weight of tremendous fear.  I know who was telling me to be afraid and he was winning the war of holding my thoughts captive.  He is the father of lies and the breeder of fear. Now he’s been overcome.  By truth.  The Truth that sets us free.

I believe so strongly that God wants us to know and walk in His truth.  He pursues our heart, renews our minds and equips us.  What thing have you been fearing lately?  Can I ask you a very firm but loving question? Who told you to be afraid?  What lies do you need to replace with the truth?