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Eleanor Had It Right By Debbie Werner Fear can hobble us in life. Facing fears with God's help can make us grow in ways we cannot imagine.
"Do one thing every day that scares you."
Some fear is good (say, the kind that makes you put on running shoes when you stumble across a mama bear and her cubs in the woods). But most of us don't experience that kind of fear on a daily basis (and if you do, maybe you need a new job). We can grow in this perfect (here meaning "mature" or "complete") love for God that John talks about by trusting Him to see us through our fears. The Greek word translated "casts" means to throw or to send. It is an action -- a choice we need to make!
I don't know about you, but I think I have a particularly thick skull when it comes to growing in spiritual wisdom, so I ask God to spell things out for me with neon flashing lights so that I can get it. I had one such "well, duh!" moment recently after hearing a statement someone made on a television program I was watching: Praying for faith doesn't mean God will give you faith; it means He will give you opportunities to exercise your faith.
Every day is full of opportunities to face our fears. Doing so allows us to examine a situation or an action in the light of truth -- and not with the distorted thinking generated by fear. Once we do that, we discover that there is something better at the other end: growth and an abundant life (John 10:10), not to mention a deeper relationship with God. Courage is needed to do the right thing even when you feel afraid. Just doing one thing, every day that makes us afraid -- while praying for God's help -- brings us that much further down on the path of peace, contentment and spiritual maturity. Request the free booklet: . Copyright 2009 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Origin of article "Eleanor Had It Right"
Keywords: Eleanor Roosevelt faith fears courage
Faith, living: