“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” II Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
I’ve spoken in the past how God is working with me on breaking the grip fear has on me and replacing it with faith. I’ve also written a post in the past speaking about how I don’t want to pass along my issues with fear to my children. While I’d love to wrap my kids in Charmin, that’s not the life God chooses for His children. How can we be salt and light to this world when we’re sequestered behind our closed drapes bundled in fire retardant clothes?
Around the beginning of the school year, God gave me a mission. This mission, however, wasn’t just for myself but included one of our kids. While I didn’t pressure my child into accepting the mission, God, in His amazing way, allowed my child to approach me, giving the perfect opportunity to share a little of what God had been whispering to me about the situation and allowing me to invite our child into the mission with me.
Our child eagerly accepted what I was offering and while there were a few instances of fear that our child needed my husband and my help to work through, I remained in complete peace that we were walking in the direction God instructed and I was excited to see God work some miracles.
Then came fear… my fear. When I took my eyes off the mission and who had invited me in the first place, I allowed the enemy a chance to whisper lies to me that sounded very believable. Lies that could happen, although probably wouldn’t happen. And, because I’m a mom, one of the lies that was hitting too close to home was this one: “What if I’m choosing a path that is putting my child in harm’s way?”
The lies and fear started Friday… and the very next day God spoke directly to my heart through a sermon about finances! The sermon reminded me that everything I have is God’s. I don’t own anything – I’m just the manager of all of God’s blessings in my life. Any relationship that I enter into… God allowed my path to cross with that individual. Any job or overtime or opportunity for advancement or a paycheck… yup, all God’s doing. My marriage? Yup, God gave that to me. The wonderful cup of coffee sitting next to me while I type this? Yup, God blessed me with that also. And, you guessed it – my kids? Not mine either. God’s kids that He’s allowing me the blessing to manage for Him.
When looked at that way, I had a serious choice to make. Keep believing the lies of the enemy that I’m going to cause harm to my child by continuing on this mission… or trust the One who created the assignment and invited my child and I to come along.
I decided to ignore the enemy and his lies and instead focus on the victory God would bring because we chose to continue. I decided that every time fear threatened to overtake me, I was going to pray harder, asking God for a miracle in this situation and for Him to get all the glory.
Come back next time and I will share what else God taught me.
© 2016 Cheri Swalwell