“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” –

Psalm 34:4 ESV

In this Psalm, King David’s writing describes his actions of turning away from sin and returning to the Lord for direction, wisdom, and comfort. He proclaims that he was fearful, and his fears were indeed taken away once he looked to the Lord and repented and refrained from his sin. It is so essential when we may be fearful that we look to God for answers, just as King David did. The very first thing God wants us to do is to repent and come to Him.

 

Do you know what Fear and Faith have in common, besides the letter F? A future that hasn’t happened yet. Fear believes in a negative future. Faith believes in a positive future. Both believe in something that has yet to happen. So I ask you if neither the positive or negative future has happened yet, then why not choose to believe in the positive future? What do you have to lose but the fear that is sabotaging your joy and success?

 

I believe that during challenging times, we have a choice between two roads. The positive road and the negative road. Our thoughts can’t be on two roads at the same time. So we have to make a choice, and this choice determines our belief about the future and the attitude and actions we bring to the present.

 

I’m not saying we shouldn’t have any fear. There are times when fear is a gift. A healthy dose of fear causes us to examine our situation and plan, and it moves us to seek safety and shelter and anticipate change. When used wisely, it allows us to manage risk and make better decisions. Some fear is good.

 

However, what I have observed lately is a supersized, mega dose of fear that is pervading the hearts and minds of far too many people. Fear can be described as a strong emotion caused by an awareness of something threatening or dangerous. This jumbo-sized fear can cause us to act irrationally or not to act at all. I have found that when I am fearful, I can either scurry in a million different directions because of fear or be paralyzed by it. Fear has led me to take the negative road to self-doubt or to make poor choices in both cases.

 

The answer is the positive road paved with faith and a belief that your best days are not behind you but ahead of you. With this belief, you make the right choices and actions today that will create your positive future tomorrow. You continue to invest in your faith, your family and yourself. You stay calm, focused, and committed to your vision and purpose. You look for ways to find ways to pause and find peace and comfort in the knowing, and your ability to let go of irrational fear-based decisions that sacrifices your future success. You identify opportunities amid the challenges, and you focus on solutions instead of problems. Most of all, your belief spreads to others. You impact the culture, mindset and attitude of your family, friend, your work, and your community through your faith and belief.

 

Your faith and belief in a positive future lead to powerful actions today. The future has not happened yet, and you have a say in what it looks like by the way you think and act. Fear or Faith. The choice is yours.

 

FEAR
F-FALSE
E-EVIDENCE
A-APPEARING
R-REAL

FAITH
F-FOR
A-ALL
I-I
T-TRUST
H-HIM

In Christ,
Suzanne OXOX