Knowing Fear Precedes No Fear

Week 33, Monday

Lori McDaniel

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Psalm 86:11

What are you afraid of? Admit it. We all have fears. Fears surface when we feel unsafe, vulnerable, exposed, threatened, or uncertain. No one is exempt from fear, and we never outgrow it.

We laugh at shallow fears—the unidentified shadow, hitting our brakes as we pass a cop, fear of walking out of the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to our shoe. Yet, there are also deeper fears we seldom recognize, certainly ones we don’t announce. We may fear rejection, fear the unknown, fear failing, fear loss of control, or fear what others think. Our fears often become habitual, justified even. When we allow fear to take up residence in our hearts, we become comfortable living with it. Fear opposes faith, divides our hearts, and interrupts the rhythm of living for God.

There was a time when I desperately struggled with internal thoughts that suffocated my soul. I decided to write each thought down. I was appalled as I looked at my own fears, yet I forced myself to untangle them. To admit I struggled with fear was against my personality. I have jumped off bridges, juggled fire, dived with sharks, and lived in remote African villages. Ironically, in the physical realm, I defy fear and desire to experience everything at any cost; but in the spiritual realm, I am paralyzed by fear and settle for cheap, safe versions of experiencing God.

Fear penetrates our hearts and spiritual arrhythmia forms. Our hearts want to sing, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.” We want to move to the rhythm of faith, but our hearts beat irregularly to the tune of our logic versus God’s logic. We swing toward what is known instead of enjoying the symphony of moving into the unknown with God.

If we want to live from a place of no fear, then we must know what we fear. We must allow God to be forthright and illuminate fears that need to be identified, fears that divide our faith. When your heart is united, then fearing God is the only healthy fear that remains.

God, reveal places where I claim faith but live in fear. Unite my heart to walk in the truth that You have taught me. Amen.