How can we be thankful for fear or disappointment? Maybe thankful I survived the fear or disappointment would be a better title for today's prompt.
An exercise in the Bible study I participated in recently was to complete a self study: "What do I fear" was at the top of the list followed by "What do I believe," "What do I prefer," "What do I Value," "What are my hopes," and "What are my joys." I found this examination of my inner self to be extremely difficult which just proved to me that I'm not really being my true self and not even sure how to start. I could not really articulate any of my feelings with a complete undoubted sense of surety and that right there is something to fear.
My fear list, however, finally ranged from dying by various tragedies and losing a child to embarrassing myself and being a burden...all unknowns and mostly uncontrollable by me, really. So, I could conclude from that superficial list that I fear the unknown.
Then I read a statement in a devotional:
"Every one of your dreams is on the other side of your fear."
I decided at that point the fear holding me back would be the fear of failing, which I guess is also an unknown, and why I research and pray about something unceasingly before attempting it.
What would a blog post on fear be without bringing in FDR's famous line from his inaugural address?
"...only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Because, if I think about it, none of my worst fears have been realized (if they had, I would not be sitting here writing this). So the fear of the unknown and the fear of failing is basically just fear itself and the disappointment is only in the risks I did not take.
Then I read another excerpt of the speech Roosevelt gave which stated this:
"Happiness lies...in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort...our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men."
The joy and thrill of achievement can only be accomplished by overcoming fear.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Psalm 111:10 NIV
I am thankful I have the fear of the Lord as part of my faith, and I will not let my fear of fear keep me from pursuing my dreams.
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