Thursday thoughts: Faith conquers fear By JILL JOHNSON Wednesday, September 13, 2023 Several months ago, one of my granddaughters came home with a questionnaire/survey she had filled out for something at school. One of the questions was “What are you afraid of?” Her answer was, “Well, basically I’m afraid of everything.” In all honesty, because she lives with me and I have been around her most of her life, I can say in her childlike honest way this is a correct statement. She doesn’t like to go in the garage by herself, get left in the car when her mom pumps gas (even though she can definitely see her), be the only one awake, be upstairs alone, be in the dark, and the list could go on and on. I would say that some of the things she is afraid of are ridiculous and unreasonable. However, if I am being truthful, in my adultlike honest way, I can say, “I am basically afraid of everything.” The difference between my granddaughter and myself is I have figured out how to battle the fear. Some days I am very good at fighting that fleshly battle and other days I fail miserably. I can remember as a child being afraid of the dark and thinking there was some figure outside my window. I would call my mother in there and she would yank the curtains open to prove to me that there was nothing there. I have to say that didn’t satisfy my childlike fear. As an adult I can voice my fears to my husband, a family member, or a friend but honestly they cannot satisfy, solve or take away my fear. The only remedy for my fear is my faith. The problem is there are some times (maybe a lot of times) when I entertain those fears and let them wreck my thought process before I turn to my faith. You would think I would learn, but I have to be honest and say there are days when my flesh might win the battle. There were times during the pandemic when we were quarantined when I entertained my fears. There are times now with our economy and just everyday life, I can entertain my fears more than I should. I can struggle with the fear of getting sick, fear of my loved ones getting sick, fear about money, fear about our jobs and the list could go on and on. Just this week alone I have had to talk myself out of being afraid of several different things. My husband had another issue with his foot and I was afraid it could turn into something worse. I received an email that Missie’s monthly fees at her complex were going up $200 a month and I was afraid we couldn’t work it out. I had to travel with work and I was afraid of car trouble. I can be really good at allowing Satan to let my thoughts take control, especially when it comes to fear. I don’t think it is a coincidence at all that “fear not” is one of most repeated commands in the Bible. I feel sure God knew we would battle fear. The bottom line and the remedy for all our FEAR is our FAITH! I have to admit that at least once a week (if not twice) I have to really have a tough talk with myself to rewire my mind to the point my faith is bigger than my fear. Someone told me long ago that the word fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Isn’t that just like the enemy to try and trick us into believing and focusing on something that is not even real? I try to recognize and fight back with my faith through scripture. Some of my favorites are Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Isaiah 43:1 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” These are the things I want my sweet granddaughter to learn. I want to be an example to her and lead by example. Will I go with her into the garage when she doesn’t want to go alone? You bet I will! Will I walk alongside her going upstairs so she doesn’t have to be alone? Totally! Will I let her get in the bed with me when she’s the only one awake and it’s dark? Every single time! My trust is built and my faith is strengthened because I can look back on the ways my heavenly Father has taken care of me when I have been afraid. I want all my sweet grandchildren to trust me so they can believe me when I point them to Jesus. If she knows I can calm her childlike fears she can trust me when I say HE can calm ALL her fears. I pray that she will learn to recognize that fear is not her friend but having a friendship and faith in Jesus is the answer! FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) is conquered with Faith (Feeling Afraid I Trust Him)! What about you? Who do you trust with your fears? ___ Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org. --- PULLQUOTES --- Quote: My trust is built and my faith is strengthened because I can look back on the ways my heavenly Father has taken care of me when I have been afraid. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20230105-130542-Jill Johnson thumbnail.jpg Caption: Jill Johnson