Fearless

There are so many anxieties and fears in life we wrestle with: it's ridiculous. Ideas run through our minds- issues with people, problems at work, financial pressures, parenting concerns, retirement, marriage challenges - basically any area of life can create worry, fear, or stress.

As Christ-followers we can cultivate a fearless life. To harvest something you have to plant something. Here are some seeds you can start planting right away.

1. Read the Bible daily- there is a great App you can get for free called Youversion. There are Bible reading plans that keep you organized and help you read the Bible through in a year, I just started it for the first time this year due to that App. Also, before I start work each day I read a Psalm - I have done this for years and it has been a huge help. As you focus on the truth daily it will help set you free from short term fears and anxieties but also builds permanent defenses against them over time.  However, I NEED to emphasize there is also short term relief and help.  Tip:  the best way to read the Bible is to ask the Lord what He is saying.

2. Pray about your anxieties, fears, or concerns - this is SO POWERFUL:
- First of all when you pray, leave your concern with God, trusting Him, and you will receive peace on the spot!
- When you pray about worries it builds your relationship with God as you share the issues of life together with Him and build life experiences with Him.  Be assured, He wants to be involved.
- The most amazing outcome of praying about worries and fears is you will see the issues melt away.  God will solve them, typically in subtle ways, and resolve them as if they were never an issue- every one of them, every time! Its amazing to see what happens when we pray specifically about issues, we can truly count on God's help! If you think I worded this too positively just try it, write down a fear, pray about it, and FORCE YOURSELF to trust God with it even if you don't feel it.  Each time the worry returns thank the Lord that He is working on it. He will most certainly help you but the WOW factor is what will happen with your confidence as you build up a history of God's faithful help.

Recent Example:  I was running late to my daughter's dance competition today and I was stressed out. I prayed, trusting God to help. The anxiety left initially- but came back a few times so I kept reminding myself I had prayed about it. The event ended up having a short break... resulting in my being on-time.  God has helped me with issues small and large for so long it actually occurred to me while I was driving that he might delay the competition to help - even funnier my wife thought he might for me. It's a tiny example but shows you how it works.  When you start seeing a hundred such answers you will truly start to look for your answers with expectation once you pray.

Let's go God!