Suffering because of fear.....we've all endured it. In one way or the other, even tho it looks different for each person, we've all experienced it.
Maybe you have fear today, maybe your heart quakes a bit inside. The news headlines, fear that your close loved ones you know could be taken at any moment. Do you realize that we will all lose every single person we love? There is never another way. Think about that for too long and you find it hard to breathe.
The economy is a mess, things break down in your home, some people have medical problems personally or a family member that put you into debt.
Some days for all of us, as fallen humans, it's hard not to panic. You can feel it, we are all driven by fear of failure. For all our frenzied running around, could it be that we are actually fleeing--trying to escape all our fears? All this pain? All this "failure?" Do you live a life of quiet terror? Of soundless, hidden grief? Do you sometimes just want to weep for all that isn't and all that you aren't?
Well I have found in my own life personally that rejoicing in the Lord happens while we still struggle in the now. Struggling and rejoicing aren't 2 chronological steps, one following the other, but they are 2 concurrent movements, one with the other. :) As the cold can move you deeper towards the fire, struggling can move you deeper towards God, who warms you with joy. Struggling can deepen joy.
Even tho your life doesn't look like you thought it would, even though you may spend this Christmas without a special loved one, even though you don't remember the last time you had a struggle free day, whether it's because you have many small children, a troubled marriage, a job you despise, constant body aches, sleep deprivation, the list could go on and the reality is, some of you have more than 1 of these combined plus others I didn't list. But even tho we fail, even tho so much in this world fails, even NOW we can rejoice in the Lord! Even now we can be joyful in the God of our salvation.
The secret of joy is always a matter of focus: a resolute focusing on the Father, not on our fears. All fear is but the notion that Gods love ends. When does he ever end? When you can't touch bottom is when you touch the depths of God.
The solution to fear is focusing on the gift of salvation. The gift God sent us that first Christmas morning. Romans 8:32 in the Bible says this: " “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
If he gave you his son to save you, will he not give anything? Hasn't he already earned trust? You can take your hands off your life--you don't have to try to save yourself. Behold him everywhere, and be held.
Count your blessings each day, count and recount. Our worlds can be overwhelming and depressing unless we remember this secret of rejoicing and having joy. A song of thanks steadies everything.
Behold the goodness of the God of your salvation everywhere, and be held.
