Choosing faith over fear even when you’re afraid
With whom do you cast your belief, your faith, your “bet”, your trust? Who gets your vote in this election we face every day, sometimes every minute? In the barrage of ads and comments and opinions and “right answers”, how do you decide on which side of the aisle you’re going to sit? Tired of being asked? YES! I am too…at least when it comes to this Presidential election.
The election I’m talking about is actually something you’ll still be deciding as you walk away from the voting booth; something you’ll still be deciding when you wake up on November 9. The election I’m talking about is not the one involving two blondes with feathered bangs and passionate ideals wanting to rule our nation for the next four years (insert audible sigh of relief here!). The election I’m talking about is the fearsome one we face on our own multiple times a day, amidst all of those voices telling us their way is THE way to cast your vote. This election doesn’t happen via electoral college or contributors… or “conspiracy” of any kind. This election happens on a much higher level — in our spirits, and it actually decides FAR more of the course of our lives than whomever is residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and deciding anything regarding china (the porcelain or world super-power variety). It’s the perpetual election of Faith or Fear, and we cast our vote every minute of every day. And with each vote we show whether we believe love-filled faith or love-less fear to be the worthy ruler of our lives.
I recently heard author Gabrielle Bernstein discussing her book, The Universe Has Your Back: How to transform fear into faith (http://amzn.to/2ebjHCq ). She and countless others, far more notable, have talked about it for centuries (not to diminish Gabby, but The Bible, for instance is without comparison). We can choose to believe the fear or we can choose to believe love-filled faith. It’s our choice. Every. Single. Time. Every time we feel the fear rise up as a lump in our throats or a nauseating clench in our stomachs. Every time we feel our heart suddenly race. Every time we are face to face with the villain we’d hoped and prayed would never, ever come. Every time we walk down those metaphorical basement stairs in our lives because we just “have to find out what that noise is” (even though we know whatever is causing the noise is probably not a very good thing!). We are Divinely given the choice. That’s the blessing and curse of free will.
Of course the timing of me hearing Bernstein was not coincidental, because on that same morning, after a great run and morning devotion/meditation, a bit of news came through that wonderful medium of text message (couldn’t we put a “no bad news” filter on it?!), and it somehow wound it’s way into that one still-tender spot of my faith that still was open to fear. The arrow of the fear struck me and shattered my beautiful sense of peace, and I had to make a choice. I had to “elect” the ruler for that moment even though I was exhausted, discouraged and generally not feeling like I wanted to make one more hard decision. Then clarity came with the most Divine simplicity…which will you believe Amy? The love-less FEAR or love-filled FAITH. Which feels more true…really true? It really IS that simple.
Identify the fear –
What does it look like, what’s its real message? Like a stealth thief in the night, once we shine the light on fear it becomes far less scary and intimidating. Even saying it out loud or writing it down somehow dis-empowers it. It’s a pitiful coward at heart!
Ask yourself – do I REALLY believe that to be true?
It is likely or even reasonable? If so, what’s the worst that can happen if it does end up coming true? Could you manage that? Could God? (note to self, God can pretty much handle anything…)
Which leads me to the final step to gain clarity…
Ask yourself – do I really believe God (or your higher power) loves me enough make sure whatever is ahead is for my good? Do I really believe God is the one in control, or am I way too comfortable trying to be a backseat driver? Has God ever truly let me down?!
It doesn’t mean horrible, painful, challenging circumstances don’t come into our lives…but really, you’re all still here, right?! You’ve made it through all that was in the past. Not because of anything in US and definitely not because we let fear rule the day and take over. The only way we made it through was because we chose to have faith and make decisions from a place of love versus fear. Remind yourself of those times because as you do, you will literally help to heal your soul and mind to be able to rest in the decision of the moment.
If I have a choice between between relying on a divine Creator or relying on the false powers of a confused and pain-filled world, then I choose the former anytime.” Marianne Williamson
Am I going to give my vote, and my power, to fear? NO! While choosing faith may feel risky, the “risk” is really non-existent when faced with the alternative presented by fear — guaranteed anxiety, failure and, basically, the worst case imagined. That “risk” shrinks even further, when I focus more and more on Divine love and faithfulness, reliability. It’s embracing what I say I believe and on that which I build my life on a deeper level each time I utter that five-letter word – FAITH. I have chosen, and have to chose it again every day even when it feels terrifying, because , I know with FAITH all WILL be well.
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)
I love to hear from you and would love to have you forward this along to others…
Blessings always,
Amy