Recently in my life I have come across a few things to fear. At least they are a few things that I fear. Some of them scare me more then I would like to admit, and some are just something that I worried about for a moment and then decided that they weren't worth worrying about. But the main point is, that sometimes in life there comes a time when you fear something. If you are anything like me, you probably will fear more then one thing throughout your life.
This thing you fear could be that you are afraid that something won't happen, or even afraid that something will. It could be that you are afraid of tangible things or things that no one can really hold. It could even just be a fear of the unknown. Whatever it is, it is a fear. A very real fear.
One thing with fear though is that it inhibits your ability to act. No matter how big or small the fear is it makes you stumble and lose your way. It tends to either root you in one spot or make you back up, but either way, you are no longer able to proceed forward. You are no longer able to walk on the path you were on.
Life is funny though. No matter how much you believe that you have conquered your fears or think that you have nothing to fear, it always throws something in your life that scares you out of your mind. Whether you recognized it as a fear before or not, there it is. Right in your path of life, waiting for you to decide what to do about it. At this point you have some decisions to make. You can stop where you are at and stare at it hoping it will go away. You can turn around and run in the opposite direction. Or you can move forward, praying that you will be strong enough to overcome it. At times, all of these are good options. If you sit there long enough the spider will crawl away. If you are hiking up a trail and see it gets really steep, turning around and moving back down the mountain will let you avoid the height on the edge of the cliff. But there are other times when moving forward is the only way for you get to the path you need to be at.
One of my favorite quotes says this
"When you come to the edge of darkness and the next step is into the great unknown, you must believe in one of two things; you will step onto solid ground, or you will be taught to fly." I love this quote because it helps keeps me grounded in life. It helps me to remember to trust in God and keep moving forward. For you see, it occurred to me some years back that God does not want us to fail. He is not up there hoping we quit and turn around. He is not hoping that we give up and join Satan and his forces. He does not want us to get thrust into outer darkness. What he does want, however, is for us to succeed. He wants us to stay strong. He wants us to fulfill our mission and conquer our fears. He wants us to get back to him and have everlasting life. God does not want to destroy us, he wants to lift us. I don't think God gives us trials because he wants to make us crumble. He gives them to us because he wants to make us into something. Something far greater then we could ever imagine.
Therefore, I also know that God will provide a way. He will not give us a trail that we can not get through. He will not give us a trial that we can not overcome. And whatever trial we are given, He will also provide a way for us. God is not one who is going to leave us stranded. He is one who is there if we but turn to him and put our trust in him. This is where Faith comes in. Not only faith in God, but faith that God knows you, loves you, and is there for you. Trials require a Faith in Gods words and deeds. You must believe that he will be there for you. You must believe that He knows who you are and will only give you trials in life for your benefit. You must have faith that there is a way to get through whatever life hands you and whatever you get yourself into. And with having faith, you just might find that your fear is not so scary anymore. It might even go away.
I recently learned a new word, Certitude. Certitude means a total certainty or greater certainty than circumstances warrant. Faith is having certitude in God. It is knowing for certain that He will be there, no matter what is going on, even if the circumstances you are in make it seem unbelievable. So go forward living your life, but live it with certitude and faith; not with fear.
