Sticky Notes from God~~ Fear, permission denied

Fear is a jail cell locked from the inside. False evidence appearing real; do it afraid what is right

 

As an adult I still remember the words of my mother who always said, “There’s no reason to be afraid, go ahead and do it.” Sometimes I believed her and other times I didn’t. Little did I know at the time what damage fear can do in your life if you give it permission to.

 

Fear is a jail cell locked from the inside and we are the ones who hold the key. Often what we fear is nothing but false evidence appearing real. Good disguise, right? Whether it’s false evidence or something very real like the fear of water after almost drowning in it we need to not let it control our lives. We need to do what we know is right even if we do it afraid and not give fear its permission to stop us.

 

Recently as I flew to Arizona to the Cancer Treatment Center of America I sat next to a gentleman flying home after a business trip. When I asked him if my husband could trade seats with him he said “No, I’m claustrophobic that’s why I book far enough ahead of time to get an aisle seat.”

 

When we finally landed in Salt Lake City I wanted to praise him for doing so well facing this fear he dealt with. He most certainly could have chosen to stay home but he chose to face it afraid.

 

With Christ at our side we can face anything afraid or not. As I told our congregation one Sunday the benefit of having Christ over the years has given me strength to endure and a great traveling companion. A friend at my side that helped me face the fear of seizures, the fear of cancer, the fear of the unknown, the uncontrolled.

 

There are things out there that are going scare us and that’s natural but we can’t let it lock us up in a jail cell with us holding the key. We need to deny fear its permission to control in such a way. To do what is right even if we do it afraid. The best possible way is having the Lord traveling with us, walking along beside us telling us what He told Joshua in the Promise Land. “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Praise the Lord it is true, Praise the Lord we can face our giants even if we do it afraid because we have the Lord who is forever with us if we so choose.

 

When we say to fear ‘permission denied,” and to Christ “permission granted” we can almost hear the clanging of the jail cell lock as it’s released.  All we need to do is hand over the key that locked us up in the first place, our fear of evidence not true, and our fear of fear itself.

 

© 2012 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing