Cling To Jesus, Not Fear
"but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'"
-- Mark 6:49-50
We spend so much of our lives being afraid. We're afraid to change jobs. We're afraid to commit regular time to a worthy organization. We're afraid to tithe a full 10 percent. We're afraid to step out in faith -- even though Jesus is walking right there beside us.
I know all about fear. I wish I could say that it was all in the past. It isn't. I struggle with it all the time. My greatest fear? That I will veer away from God's will and find myself drowning in the ocean all alone. I know it's silly. Even when I make mistakes, God never leaves me alone. All I have to do is cry out to Him and He's there.
Then why am I so afraid? Why are you afraid? Maybe because deep inside we don't fully trust God to be who He says He is. Maybe we're uncertain that when it comes right down to the wire, He won't show up. Sounds silly, doesn't it? Then think about it being the last day of the month and there's no money in the bank to pay the mortgage. You're trusting God to provide. You're holding on with everything you've got. But where is the money? Scary, isn't it? Especially if He decides not providing you with the money is the path He has planned for you.
That possibility really freaks anyone out. We want God to provide for us exactly as we have planned out. We really don't want to suffer any severe hardship. We don't want to lose our jobs or our homes. We don't want to bury someone we love. We don't want to get sick. We're confident walking with God so long as things are going along smoothly. It's when the boat starts to rock violently that we get scared and look away. And it's then, in that moment of panic, when we most need to call out.
"Take courage! ... Don't be afraid." He's there with us, guiding us, helping us, making sure that nothing happens that we can't handle with His help. Hang on to His outstretched hand. You'll be just fine.
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