Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Living in Fear or Living for God

Do you ever spend time thinking about how fragile life is? I've been doing that a lot lately. Recently, a young man was killed in an automobile accident near our town. He was a senior in highschool, on his way to prom. In an instant, without warning, his life was lost. For me, it's led to a series of questions about what our time here, on Earth, is really about. And, more importantly, how to live out the remainder of that time, acknowledging the fragile nature of our existence. Here's Chan's take on the issue:



"Isn't life always fragile? It is never under control...Isn't the easiest thing at this point to start living in a guarded, safe, controlled way? To stop taking risks and to be ruled by our fears of what could happen? Turning inward is one way to respond; the other is to acknowledge our lack of control and reach out for God's help. If life were stable, I'd never need God's help. Since it's not, I reach out for Him regularly. I am thankful for the unknowns and that I don't have control, because it makes me run to God." p. 45.



For me, the thought of living the safest life possible is almost suffocating. I have an adventurous spirit. I want to try new things and go to new places...but that's really hard to do when you're deathly afraid of flying...which I am. But here's the thing, if I let my fear of flying keep me from doing the things I really want to do...am I really experiencing life and all it has to offer? I truly believe that God blessed me with an incredible sense of adventure. He placed in me a desire to see the world and show my kids all that it has to offer, the good and the bad. But, would God create me with an insatiable desire to do these things, knowing that my fear could forever prevent me from living the life I was created to live?



ABSOLUTELY!!!



God didn't create the fear...He created the desire. The fear is my choice. I can choose to live in it...build a house there, raise my kids there..."safe," but fearful. People choose this ALL THE TIME! I'd even argue that we could live a "content" life being fearful...not stepping out of our comfort zone...not living by faith. When our lives come to an end and we look back on all that we have done...what will we see? I want my choices in life to be dictated by my desire to pursue God...NOT by my willingness to hide in fear...because choosing fear is acknowledging that we don't trust God.
I've come to realize that trusting God IS the adventure.



THE PUSH



So, what fears are dictating your life at this moment? Take some time to think about how these fears indicate a lack of trust in God. In your quiet time, ask God to help you in these areas of your life. I also want you to watch the Balance Beam video again. It fits perfectly here...and we can all use the reminder!


















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