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Fear of Falling Can Lead to Falls, Researchers Conclude
The headline from this news story was the first thing I saw in my inbox this morning. The article highlights a study in the British Medical Journal that shows a fear of falling among the elderly can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. “It can lead to a refusal to participate in activities, which can result in muscle weakening and loss of strength and balance, which increases the risk of falling.”
Ironically, I’ve been stressed lately about a fear of failing. My day job is extremely stressful and will only get worse over the next few months. I’m fighting to balance time for my wife and kids. And as I declared on Friday, I am determined to write a book, based on this blog.
With every step I take toward God, I can feel the spiritual warfare kicking in. The lies growing louder, the fears growing more intense, the junk I carry around inside me bubbling up with a newly found frenzy. Every wound I have is more intense these days, and it’s harder than ever to keep focused. It’s like the darkness starts fighting harder at the first glimpse of daylight.
And I am so close to bending to the fear of failing. I’m so close to allowing that fear to be the ultimate reason for failing. My own self-fulfilling prophecy. I am just now realizing how frequently I’ve lost this battle in my past. That has a dual effect internally for me. Half of me feels defeated yet again. The other half says, “No way, not this time!”
In the end, my goal is to press forward, step into what God has for me and trust Him. If failure comes, so be it.
But I am not going to fall just because I was afraid to fall. And I’m not going to fail just because I was afraid to fail.
I’m thankful God shared this article with me. Exactly what I needed to start my week.
As I’ve been writing this blog, and studying and contemplating and meditating and praying, I’ve uncovered some themes that represent my past inability to grow closer to God. I assume these themes are at least more global than just me, so I thought I’d try them on for size.
Ironically, a friend of mine recently validated most of these in a conversation we were having, without any knowledge that I had already started this blog post. That gives me comfort that two people out there have had the same experience. Anyway, here they are in no particular order. Five reasons I suspect most of us fail in our walk with God. Or better put, five reasons I’ve historically failed in my walk with God.
1. Over-reliance on church and others. People are flawed. Institutions are flawed. Organized religion does not possess all the answers. If you are placing the burden of your spiritual growth on your church community or others in your life, expecting to be led, you will be left wanting. These gifts from God should accentuate the relationship you have with Him, not serve as crutches. At the end of the day, your relationship with God is just that. You…and…God. There is no 12-step program or tell-all devotional or one-size-fits-all solution handed down by your religious superiors so that you can just add water.
2. Gravity. Everything in this world pulls against your walk with God. It’s easy for us to get overwhelmed, beaten down, discouraged, taken out of the game. Worldly concerns and distractions are powerful. Competing priorities can be consuming. The challenge is filtering out the things that don’t matter and maintaining your commitment to knowing God. Easier said than done.
3. Lack of self-awareness. If we are not deeply in touch with our wounds, understanding that our sins are merely symptoms, searching for root causes and triggers, we won’t be able to work through the internal obstacles that are preventing us from growing closer to God. You have to see your true self and understand fully the idols in your life, the walls you’ve erected and the chains that bind you. Too often, we are numb or in denial or just so displeased with who we are on the inside that we can’t objectively see ourselves.
4. Ungrounded belief system. Most of us can’t defend or even define what we really believe. And most of what we say we believe has been handed down from someone else. Without deep roots, you will have a shallow faith. That will prevent you from being clear of your purpose and obedient to what God asks you to do. Without a well-rooted faith, it’s hard to hear God and even harder to act once we do hear from Him.
5. Absence of desire. If there isn’t a fire burning within us to know God, a longing and a passion to walk more closely with Him, we will only be going through the motions. If you are lacking this desire, pray for it. God will provide. But until you have a heart that is hungry and broken, you won’t be successful in knowing God more intimately.
So, there you go. Five reasons for failure. What do you think? Do you have other themes to add? Or a success story of how you have overcome these obstacles? I’d love to hear about it.
A friend of mine recently described the changes he had made with how he handles relationships, saying that in his past he would lean back and make people pursue him, but now he leans in and does the pursuing himself. Back to that quote in a moment.
I am a man of action. That’s what I’m telling myself. It’s still a new state of mind for me. A different way of approaching things. But I’ve been concerned about my self-perceived lack of action to back up the declaration. In James, which is a great book for understanding how to be a man of action, it clearly states that faith without works is dead. I’ve read that before. My literal translation has been a bit off though.
Back to my friend’s quote. Leaning in. That is action in itself. I’ve been holding myself accountable for not having executed physical actions that back up my faith. Thinking the lack of such actions means I’m not making progress in my faith. But I have been leaning in. I have been in pursuit. I’ve been obedient in areas where I’ve long ignored the call of God. I’ve repaired my relationship with my wife. I’ve stepped out and made myself vulnerable, trusting that God would deliver. I’ve committed to this blog. I’ve been taking action. And eventually, that action will show itself in a more tangible outward way, but for the moment, it’s important I see the power of the progress I’ve made. I’m not getting it all right, all the time. But my batting average is waaaaaay up from just six months ago.
Our natural tendency as humans is to lean back instead of leaning in. The problem with that is we have no power when we’re leaning back. Strength comes from leaning in. If you are trying to move a heavy object, win a fist fight, advance against resistance, do you lean in or back? Leaning in is about motion, about action. It’s also about intention and investment. If you want to gauge whether someone is truly interested and in the conversation you are having, simply watch their body language. Are they leaning in toward you? If yes, they are invested. Are they leaning back? If yes, they are creating distance between you because they are disengaged. It’s a light switch. In is on. Back is off. In has power and intention. It’s a declaration of purpose. Back is distrust, reluctance, apathy and defeat. If we only lean back, we will never move forward.
Before you can act, you have to be activated. And to be activated, you have to make the conscious decision to lean in. To get off your heels and on your toes. I can tell you from experience, it makes a difference. It doesn’t make struggles go away. It doesn’t immediately change the world around you. But it does flip the switch, illuminate your surroundings and generate momentum toward the place you want to go.
Be aware of your internal posture. Are you leaning in or leaning back?
I’m still alive, but I’m barely breathin
Just praying to a God that I don’t believe in
Those lyrics kick off a new song by The Script called “Breakeven.” The first time I heard it, those words shook me. And they continue to do so each time I hear the song. Mostly because they have been so true for me at times in my life the past few years. From what I can gather, many others have been in this boat with me.
It’s not that I’ve ever doubted there was a God, that a divine power created this world and everything in it, that there is an all-knowing, all-powerful being who surrounds us. But there have been times when the sad truth of the matter is that I haven’t believed in the God I’m praying to. Deep down I was skeptical or doubtful, at some level questioning. I wasn’t even aware of it at times, but I’ve come to understand that some of the struggles I’ve endured, some of the sacrifices I’ve been unwilling or unable to make, can be traced back to a lack of believing. Praying but not really believing God would provide. Taking it on myself instead. Doubting whether I could listen to the voice I was hearing. Resisting because I didn’t fully trust Him.
As a result, I was alive but barely breathing. I definitely wasn’t thriving. I’m in a better place now, but I can still clearly remember what it felt like to wake up and discover, “I believe in God. Just not the God that I’m praying to.”
I’d like to issue a challenge. Ask yourself what you believe. Who is the God you believe in? And then ask the harder question. Why do you believe that? Until we fully answer these questions, we won’t have the foundation we need to grow in Him.
For me, most of my beliefs were shaped by early programming from family and the church, as well as past experiences. An overwhelming minority of my truths were uncovered through walking with God and pursuing His word. It’s amazing how much you believe because of what your parents believe, because of what your pastor believes. The problem is most of these beliefs are inherited, not internalized. They can be engrained in who you are, but it doesn’t take much to call them into question.
That’s why so many of us grapple with praying to a God we don’t believe in. When circumstances pressure test our beliefs, the inherited will fall away fast and only the internalized will remain. My journey this past year has been so valuable to me in many ways. The most important blessing has been that I am finally building my own set of beliefs and not solely relying on beliefs passed to me by others. These days, I’m alive and breathing better. And the God I pray to is a God I believe in.
One of the most helpful strategies for me in my journey has been to take a closer look at myself. In continuously diagnosing where I am, I increase the likelihood of reaching where I want to go. After all, the most important key to solving a problem is accurately defining it. Most of us are not naturally self-aware. Myself included.
I recently found a passage and a parable that has not only helped me as a diagnostic tool but also provided me with a model for more effectively approaching my faith walk. Luke 8: 11-15 talks about seeds scattered, some falling by the wayside, others on the rock, others among thorns and finally those landing on good ground. The parable goes on to describe what happens to each group of seeds. I’ve adapted it below to put it in categories that work better for me, using descriptors that are emblematic of our most common challenges as Christians. It’s important to note that three of the four categories are negative. It’s also important to note that you can find yourself in more than one at a time, although I’d bet that you can always identify more strongly with a single category.
Walls – Like the wayward seeds, you have heard the word but it has been quickly taken from you, and you don’t believe. You’ve built walls of doubt. You are cynical about God and skeptical about what He can do for you. Maybe you even question the very existence of God. Either way, you lack the belief necessary to progress in a relationship with God.
Chains – Like the seeds that fell on the rock, you have no roots and temptation quickly causes you to fall away. You are owned by sin, consumed, trapped, unable to exert self-control. You fall into the same snares over and again. You feel like you can’t overcome human nature.
Idols – Like the seeds that fell among the thorns, you are choked with cares, riches and pleasures of life. You likely have your priorities out of whack. You consistently experience fear, worry, stress. You are trusting in yourself instead of God. Focusing on things that expire instead of things that are eternal.
Fruits – Like the seeds that fell on good ground, you are producing. You are patiently progressing toward a deeper relationship with God. You have momentum. You are on a journey.
So where do you fit?
If you find yourself stuck behind walls, your main struggle is with your ability to believe. In your mind and your heart, you have to buy in to the salvation story, to the promises God has made. You might have to find ways to come to grips with doubts you have or internal struggles which prevent you from believing. If you are bound by chains, your fight involves obedience. You are failing to follow God’s instructions for your life. You have to gain small victories in resisting sin and build from there. Those in the idol category are misplacing their faith and trust, finding purpose in worldly things, relying on things other than God to sustain them. And finally, those of you fortunate enough to find yourself in the fruits category are experiencing growth, making progress in your pursuit of God.
This model, or framework, helps me organize my approach to growing with God. It also ties directly to my earlier post (You Are Not Alone), where I discussed 2 Peter 1:5. I believe as you progress in this model, you begin to outwardly display the attributes from that passage. Faith. Virtue. Knowledge. Self-Control. Perseverance. Godliness. Brotherly Kindness. And finally, Love. If you are able to more completely believe in the promises of God, trust Him and pursue him above all else, resist temptation and be obedient, then you will grow, your roots will deepen, and you will produce much fruit.
Repetition. Get the vibe of this post yet. Repetition. It’s about the power of…repetition.
Take Psalm 107 for instance.
Some wandered in desert wastelands, hungry and thirsty, their lives wasting away.
Verse 6: Then they cried out for the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, as prisoners, because they rebelled against the words of God and despised His counsel.
Verse 13: Then they cried out for the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Others saw the works of God on the seas, but in their peril their courage melted away, and they reeled and staggered like drunken men.
Verse 28: Then they cried out for the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Getting the picture? Whether you are lost, rebellious or weak, it’s the same outcome. Cry out in trouble, and be delivered. Again, and again. Repetition.
2 Peter 1:12 – So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body.”
For all of the adult learners out there, we need to hear things more than once. We need them reinforced so that our muscle memory responds correctly when we really need it. It’s important that we meditate on what we know to be true, and that we continue to revisit in the name of remembering. It isn’t really memorization as much as it is keeping our minds sharp. Otherwise, we’re very likely to forget a lot of basic things that can come in quite handy.
The other nice thing about repetition is that is provides consistency and predictability. Security, if you will. It’s great that God is unwavering, that with complete accuracy you can predict His response. What if others could say the same about us and how we respond to the world around us?
I was saved at the age of 11, during Vacation Bible School. The pastor finally spoke in words I could understand, using the game of baseball as an analogy for salvation. It still took my cousin wandering down the aisle before I was brave enough to do so myself, but on that day, I became a Christ follower. Finally, my grandmother could put her hand down. You see, every Sunday, the pastor would ask for unspoken prayer requests, and she would raise her hand. Later on, I realized, I was the unspoken request that was burdening her. But I digress.
And with that public profession of faith, I fell into a lifelong trap that sidetracks many Christians. I thought I should immediately be transformed, with a new heart and a new mind, membership in the club being all I needed to be whole. Born again after all.
Some quarter of a century later, this is still one of the main reasons why I find it so hard to deepen my relationship with God. Why many of us, I will assume, still struggle with that. We have the equation all wrong. Salvation = Faith = Mission Completed. The church actually does talk about deepening your relationship with God, but for some reason it has always felt to me like it overly emphasized the transformation that occurs when you accept Christ, making it a divine transaction instead of the beginning of a deeper journey.
2 Peter 1:5 – For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
Wow, that passage displays a process with many steps that we tend to either skip over or take on all at once. It is no wonder we burn out before we catch fire for God. We try to bite off a big chunk of godliness, for instance, before we spend time gathering knowledge and learning self-control. I’m not suggesting this is a process that must absolutely require a set amount of time. In fact, I’m sure that some people move through the steps more quickly than others. I am saying that the order is important. How can you consistently dismiss sin and persevere if you haven’t gained an understanding of what it takes for you to build self-control? From faith, it all builds. Faith grows stronger along the way. But from faith, you must build.
I must say that again in my 25 years of Christianity, it wasn’t until this week that I had this level of clarity about where I’d been going wrong in earlier attempts to walk with God. Partly because I was just not being aware or open to hearing from God. Partly because when we gather together corporately as Christians, we don’t always create an environment conducive for growth.
Everyone shows up with their Sunday best on, and by appearance and attitude we create an illusion that all is well on our peaceful walk with God. We’ve been transformed, and we are whole. Mission completed. In the meantime, we create the belief that if you are struggling with faith or dealing with sin or drifting from God that you are all alone. A misfit in some way. You just don’t get it.
Occasionally, we see the courageous comeback story of someone who has rebounded from drugs or alcohol or overcome abuse or tragedy. Call me a pessimist but these stories, while inspiring, usually leave me feeling more alone in my struggle because in addition to these stories being positioned as exceptions to the rule, they also are usually examples of people who are actually back on track. So for those still in the midst of a relationship crisis, the message can be that indeed we are alone. There were a few people out there like us. But now they are back in the game as well. It might just be me, but after several recent conversations, I don’t believe that to be true. And while deep down we know that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” it doesn’t stop our imagination from placing us on a deserted island.
It’s a viscous cycle. The reason for creating the illusion is because most of us are afraid to be real and open up. And because of this fear, we perpetuate the fear in others that they are alone in their struggles, making their problems seem bigger and badder and that they have failed because everyone else seems to be doing just fine. It also creates the belief that those of us who aren’t where we want to be can’t offer any value because of our flaws. How quickly we forget the achievements of men like the disciples, who were riddled with shortcomings and weakness but did great things despite them.
If we would all pause and remember that it is the pursuit of being Christ-like, not actually achieving it in full, we would be in a better place. We might not be so afraid to let the world in and see that we don’t have it figured out. We wouldn’t unintentionally alienate others who really need support but aren’t comfortable being “the only broken ones.” In protecting and guarding ourselves, or putting on a mask because of pride, we perpetuate a collective aloneness.
I’ve also struggled with a seemingly widespread tendency of Christians to mistake holding people accountable with judging them. We’ve all done it, and we’ve all had it done to us. I see it all the time. People who are strong in their faith and well-intentioned but then write someone off or place a black mark next to their name in the spirit of “holding them accountable” when really, they are judging them for not being transformed and whole. It is not our place to forgive when there isn’t an act that directly impacts us. People don’t need to be judged. They don’t need to come to a place of worship or a community of believers and have to consciously monitor and censor themselves out of fear that someone will render a verdict and condemn them as spiritual criminals or deviants. Usually if I am tempted to judge someone, it is because I need to feel better about where I am and what I’m dealing with. It’s the only way I have of telling myself that I’m not so far off the mark after all, that I’m not alone.
Considering all this, I’m going to take the same stand as one of my very good friends, who just the other day told me that he refused to live in fear any longer. Amen! This can be done by me being fully aware of where I stand in the process. For me, that means the knowledge phase. Next up, self-control. It also means that I have to continually remind myself that just like public speaking, most everyone is uncomfortable with where they are in their walk with God. I am not alone. And neither are you.
Your center is fixed. It doesn’t move around. I mentally highlighted those words as I read them. It’s not a foreign concept for me. The core is important in exercise. You first must strengthen it before you can expect the rest of your body to follow form. An anchor holds a ship tight, keeping it from drifting aimlessly into unfamiliar waters. We all know the story about a house built on solid ground versus sinking sand. Foundation is critical.
I’m back to an earlier struggle, the one where I seek a focus for my efforts, something I can lock in and devote myself to, a purpose if you will. A core. A foundation. A center. Without it, I feel like my path will resemble urban sprawl. Not well planned, just haphazard and random. Inconvenient and cumbersome. Splintered in a hundred directions.
My previous mental highlight from the same book: There has never been a time when nothing happened. The world never stops turning, time never stops ticking. We are in perpetual motion, whether we like it or not. We can’t actually stop. We can’t press pause. With every day, I am missing the chance to do something positive, to fulfill my purpose.
These were my thoughts on Thursday afternoon. I just couldn’t get to my computer to post because there was a lot going on this past week. Calie’s big event, the Women’s Wellness Weekend was Friday and Saturday, her family was in town, last-minute preparations were in play. And then, my time was dedicated to helping Calie pull off the event. I took out trash, I moved tables, I manned the registration booth, I worked with interns, I supported speakers, I catered to needs of exhibitors. And here and there I got to hear portions of the presentations.
On Sunday, after more than 24 hours straight with a bunch of women, the dust finally settled, allowing me time to get back to writing. As I was forced to get in touch with my feminine side over the weekend, I was granted with additional food for thought. The endearing message throughout Calie’s event was the idea of “the next step” meaning what small change will/can you make today that will help you lead a healthier life. One of Calie’s speakers was staying at our house, and she talked a lot about “the next step” and the spiritual basis it had for her. The fact that we are only required to take the next step, not figure out what it is. God will deliver instructions for that. And once we take that step, he’ll tee up the next one. Otherwise, there is no faith required. If I can map it out, chart the course, there is no need for me to trust, other than to trust that God will help me be successful.
Hearing Calie and her speaker friend talk about next steps, etc. all weekend helped me get my head back on straight. It helped me trace back the earlier understanding I had, with help from a counselor, that my purpose for being here is to enjoy relationship with God. That’s the calling. That is the core. That is the center which doesn’t move. That is the anchor that prevents me from wandering. That is the master plan that ensures no urban sprawl. I also said earlier that I felt God’s next step for me was to help others. Just to respond to those in need around me. I watched my wife do that with about a hundred women, all of them showing up with an unmet need related to their physical, emotion or spiritual health. I was proud of her. I was about to get disappointed that I hadn’t been helping anyone, despite my declaration to start doing just that. Since signing up for the call, I hadn’t experienced anyone in need. Frustrating!
And then, I realized that Calie had needed help to pull off this event, to help other women. In this case, my next step was to help her take hers. And I felt genuinely good about it, which shows progress on my part. A year ago, I would have slightly resented her for having a clear path and a purpose to pursue while I was floundering in sprawl. But watching her plan unfold is consistent with the next step concept. She didn’t map her current journey. She’s didn’t plan the course. It has taken her along for the ride, and she’s been obedient to the call.
Okay, I am dialed back in again. Sorry to have temporary lost my bearings, but it’s easy to do. And yes, it’s true that there has never been a time when nothing happened. Which means I can expect a next step again tomorrow and the next day. The key is to just keep walking.
p.s. I really hope that receiving deep insight from a women’s event doesn’t hurt my man club membership status.
Fear is the most common thing preventing us from moving forward in God’s will. That, we have established. But now I want to take that back. Well,sort of. Because fear, actually is a symptom. A signal of something missing. At its core, fear is a reflection of a lack of faith. It’s natural to fear, and it’s natural to struggle with faith. But without faith, there is no peace. Isaiah 57:20 says, “Peace, peace, to those far and near, and I will heal them. But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. There is no peace…for the wicked.”
Maybe branding those without faith as “wicked” is a bit harsh on my part, but it’s not all that inaccurate. Without faith, we are sitting prey. One step away from wicked.
So, how to grow faith…that is the question. I did some digging and came up with some strategies for growing my faith, which I plan to implement moving forward. I just hope it goes better than the time I tried to grow my own lawn. After several hundred dollars and hours of back-taxing labor, I had two sprigs and a pile of dirt. We ended up going with the sod afterall. I don’t think there’s a sod option for faith.
1. You must set your mind, and then fortify your heart.
Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. And then, Isaiah 51:7 – Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts.
You have to get your mind around what God is saying. Obviously you have to make the transfer to your heart, or you’ll approach it as an academic exercise. But the mind is important. Too often we think about faith coming from the heart. It’s a combo deal.
2. Approach trials as opportunities to sharpen your blade.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Lord tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul continues, “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Listen, I never said this was going to be easy. (Talking to myself right now).
3. Trust in small doses.
My oldest son loves the pool. We go quite a bit when it’s warm out. He also loves to jump from the side and have me catch him. That wasn’t always the case. When we first started going to the pool, he would wade into the kiddie end very cautiously. After a while, I convinced him to jump from the side, but at first he insisted on hanging on to my fingers as he jumped. After a few successful attempts, he drummed up additional bravery. A little while later, I had to start worrying about him jumping when I wasn’t looking! But it started with very small steps. A long time ago I wrote about surrendering a bit at a time, that it didn’t have to be an all at once or not at all proposition. I think the same goes for faith.
4. Forsake sin.
Remember, if you resist Satan, he will flee from you. To forsake sin, strengthens faith. Easier said than done.
5. Spend time with God.
Here’s the “well, duh, hello Sunday School” one. But it’s true. Talk to God. Pray. Read. Think. Inquire. And then you will grow.
6. Get comfortable with uncertainty.
You are NOT going to have all the answers. Not even half of them. That’s something that’s been hard for me to accept. But it’s true. After all, in Isaiah 55:8 God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” God is foreign to us. There is uncertainty. Which can breed doubt. Which erodes faith. Which creates fear. Which holds us back. It’s cause and effect at its finest.
In my opinion, the two most common obstacles preventing us from walking with God are self-interest and fear. Self interest is usually the driver of sin, as I have discussed before in some detail. Whether we are too confident, or insecure or unstable, our “self” presents ample opportunities for being unwound and undone. It’s hard to calibrate confidence to the right level. Fear, on the other hand, is most often the thing that prevents progress toward what God has for us. This I have mentioned previously as well.
As I’ve been reading Isaiah, I’ve picked up on a recurring message. It shows up almost every other verse it seems. Fear not. Be not afraid. Don’t be afraid. Have no fear. Etc. God keeps messaging, over and over and over, that we should not be afraid. Any guess why He feels it’s necessary to repeat that phrase so many times?
I’ve also been reading a book by Aleksandar Hemon (best author I’ve discovered in a while by the way) just for pleasure, but today, God sent me a note through it as well. I am absolutely pumped that no matter what I pick up and read lately, God has an insight waiting. The characters in my book were discussing a war-torn Sarajevo, specifically power outages. One says to the other,
“We dreamt of light, but hoped for darkness.”
That’s exactly what I do. I dream of light, of the great things God has in store, of the plans He has for me. And in the same breath, I hope for darkness, that all will just be safe and unseen, because who knows what the light might bring. In the book, the characters were referring to the fact that it was easier for the enemy to attack at night as well if the lights were on. For me, it is the fear of where God might shine the light. I’ve brought this up numerous times, because it’s a central theme for me. It’s a constant challenge. The fight with fear.
In Isaiah, He doesn’t just stop at saying don’t be afraid. God makes some promises to us. Among them are:
1. He will show us the way.
30:20 – Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
2. He will be with us and be there for us.
35:3 – Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give away; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
3. He will provide what is needed for us to make a difference.
42:6 – I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand, I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who stir in darkness.
We humans are built for self-preservation. We have instincts to protect ourselves, to survive and thrive, to recognize and flee from danger. Unfortunately, these survival skills, while very helpful in many circumstances, are horribly effective devices for derailing us from God’s will.
God is trying to tell us, just like a somewhat famous politician once said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Fear, at is core, is the face of a weak faith. It’s the fruit of a shallow-rooted tree. It is the result of trusting self over God. That takes us to a much bigger discussion that’s probably better handled one bite or blog post at a time.
In the meantime: No Fear.
the way to (t)here 
What You Said