Monday Motivation: Even Though I’m Scared
Posted by Andrea
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
I do. Many others I know do too. Among the believers was my Cousin Joan.
On Saturday morning, I received a phone call from my mother telling me that Cousin Joan had just passed. For the past few years, Cousin Joan had waged a valiant war against breast cancer, but her personal battle ended yesterday when the Lord called her home.
Even as she fought cancer, Cousin Joan continued to shed a positive light on life. During the Christmas season a couple of years ago, though she was feeling particularly weak, Cousin Joan insisted upon coming to visit my family along with her mother Ruby and her daughter Jennifer. During this visit, I gave her one of my favorite angels to encourage her and asked how she gathered the strength to endure the discouraging days. Her answer was a simple one, “I just trust God even though I’m scared sometimes.”
What an amazing statement to utter in the midst of life’s uncertainty! When asked if we trust God, it is easy for us to say that we do. However, the true question is When times get tough do our lives actually reflect our trust in God? Unfortunately for me, the answer is sometimes no.
Failure to place trust in God can be attributed to several factors. First, some feel that God doesn’t move fast enough. Though we may initially give our issues to the Lord, if He does not resolve the matters in time frame we deem appropriate, we quickly snatch them back. In addition, our own control issues sometimes surface. We think that unless we’re orchestrating the outcome, there will not be harmony in our lives. Finally, fear prevents us from trusting God. We’re afraid that God may address an issue in a manner we not expect or like.
If we do walk in faith and trust God, what can we expect? When we no longer have to wrack our brains over the outcome of life’s challenges, we can enjoy true peace of mind. Next, we can expect to develop patience as we learn to wait on God. Finally, we can expect to see growth in our lives as we give free our hands of our problems and instead reach for the Son.
I believe deciding to trust God in the midst of a life threatening illness was probably frightening for Cousin Joan. However, her willingness to overcome her fears by leaving her burdens with God was pleasing to Him. Little did she know, her ability to trust in God was an inspiration to many.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of life and for the people, places, and things You’ve given us to enhance our lives. Though these things make our lives better, help us to remember that we can only experience a full life when we make You the center of our lives. Forgive us for trying to take care of situations without direction from You.Help us to turn to you as we face worry, fear, and a variety of emotions. Draw us closer to you and give us the strength we need to embrace and trust You. Amen.
Food For Thought:
1. How do you approach the struggles in your life?
2. What prevents you from placing complete trust in God?
3. Why is it essential for us to trust God with every detail of our lives?
Photo: Courtesy of Photoprincess2006 (Flickr)
thank you, Andrea, for the encouragement.
You’re welcome:)
I am sorry for your loss she sounds like an incredible woman. I love how you rolled out the fact of our security in salvation as well as the encouragement to trust Him!
Thanks for the warm words. When we lose a loved one the loss is a bit easier to bear when we know we’ll later see them in heaven.
I’m sorry that you’ve been separated from Cousin Joan for a bit. I’ll be praying for you and for your family, and I’m grateful that your grief will be fortified by hope. Be blessed!
Thanks Deidra. I appreciate the prayers:)
This is a beautiful post. I’m so sorry for your loss, Andrea
I can certainly identify with this statement: “Failure to place trust in God can be attributed to several factors. First, some feel that God doesn’t move fast enough.” In fact I’ve prepared a wee post on patience… great minds once again… :~D