FEAR
God has blessed us with emotions,
they are the feelings we experience in our lives. There is joy, anger, worried,
tired, sad, excited, fear, love and I’m sure you can come up with more
emotions/feelings. We all have them, we all experience joy and happiness,
sadness, love and fear.
So, what do we do about our
feelings? Years ago before we went to Seminary, Mark and I participated and
eventually presented at Marriage Encounter. It was a GREAT experience and we
enjoyed sharing our “story” with those coming to enrich their marriages. As we
wrote for our presentations our mentors would say to us “There is a feeling
behind that”. Prior to writing for Marriage Encounter, I thought I was sharing
my feelings, but I learned I was holding back. I was afraid to share my “true”
feelings. I didn’t want to face my feelings. This wasn’t helping me, it wasn’t
helping Mark, and it certainly wasn’t going to help the couples coming to
strengthen their relationships. Our mentors and friends helped us discover that
sharing our emotions/feelings would open our communication with each other and
with others.
Don’t get me wrong, there is a
element of privacy, of confidentiality, but sharing some of our
feelings/emotions with each other and how we got through some of our difficult
times and how we rejoiced in the amazing times God has given us is incredibly
helpful to others and to each other in understanding how God works in our
everyday lives.
God has blessed us with joys,
sorrows, and anticipation of what He has in store for us. There are times when
we are fearful of what will happen in the distant future, in the weeks to come,
and even tomorrow. The one thing we have and can always count on is God’s
blessings and His constant presence. He is always there with us, we never have
to walk alone.
When I am experiencing fear and
doubt I turn to His Word and Promises. Here are a few of my favorite passages
that I turn to, I hope they will help you as well.
Hebrews 13:5 Joshua 1:5 Deuteronomy 31:6
Matthew 28:20 Romans 8:37-39 Romans 8:31-35
2 Chronicles 13:12 Psalm 46:7 Psalm 46:11
1 Corinthians 4:1 Deuteronomy 7:9 Deuteronomy 31:8
Genesis 18:14 Isaiah 8:10
These are a few of the passages I
turn to when I need comfort and support. There are many more passages that you
can share with others, I would love to hear some of your favorites. I may find
comfort in your joy of searching Scripture for His answer. The one thing I am
not afraid of is telling God Thank you for the blessings and struggles. I am
also not afraid to comfort others with the fact that God has always been there
for me and will be there with them. To share God’s love and blessings with
others that are hurting or even joyful is truly a blessing and
honor.
In God’s peace and
love,
Debbie Oatman