WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG WOLF

Introduction

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? I am. And I’m afraid of water, more specifically of drowning. And I’m afraid of heights, and of failure and of displeasing others and of…(well, the list could go on and on and on). And I’m guessing you could make a similar list, a list of all the things that cause your heart to flutter, your brow to sweat, your knees to shake, and your teeth to chatter. Fear. It’s natural, not always rational, but in the eye of the beholder, perceived fear is real.

Luke 12:25-26 – And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

Lessons Learned

One of my “Big Bad Wolf” moments is as follows:  My husband and I love to travel, and although I hate getting in the water, I LOVE going to the beach. I love reading from a lounge chair while looking at the beautiful scenery, and I even love walking along the shore while the waves lap upon my feet. But actually getting in the water, well, that’s a different story. But because the fear is real to me and irrational to my husband, on this particular vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Derrick convinced me that partaking in the water sports activities at the resort would be fun. So to please my man, I joined him on one of those Banana boat rides, you know the one where you straddle this big, plastic banana while being pulled by a motorboat across the ocean. This was Derrick’s idea of fun, but I hated it. Yes, I knew that many had done it before me and lived. And yes, I had a life vest on. Yes, I’d even heard the supposedly comforting words of Derrick, “Don’t worry, I got you. Trust me.” Rationally I understood all of this, but I was still afraid. We took off, zipping over the vast body of aqua blue water, bouncing across the waves, and although I was holding on for dear life, it wasn’t so bad. We came to a stop, and I prayed, “Thank You God!” but before I could dismount, the driver of the boat said something to us in Spanish. We didn’t understand him, but Derrick was pumped, so he shouted, “Yeah, let’s go! WooHoo!”

The driver needed no further encouragement because he took off going 20 miles per hour faster than we had previously gone. And he then made a sharp turn and overturned the banana. Despite efforts to hold on, I was tossed into the ocean, and I was convinced I was going to die. The life vest meant to save me was choking me, water began to fill my lungs, I couldn’t see Derrick, and I WAS AFRAID. No TERRIFIED. But then I heard a voice speak to me. No, it wasn’t the voice of God, but Derrick, shouting through sputters of laughter, “Dee, just stand up.” See, we had been tossed off the banana directly onto shore, but because my back was to the shore and because my fear had kicked into high gear, all I could see, think, and feel was that I was drowning. My irrational response to my real fear.

Lessons Lived

Along this journey, I was presented with this question, “How can fear and faith co-exist?” How can I love God with all my heart, desire Him above everything and everyone, trust Him as if my very life depends upon it if I were to continue living as one who was afraid? The truth of the matter is I can’t, and you can’t. Faith and fear cannot co-exist. So, what do we do about the “Big Bad Wolves” in our lives?

As I strive to live a surrendered life, I’ve come to understand that to surrender all to Him completely, I have to let go of my fears. Easier said than done, right? Well, yeah, it’s nearly impossible if I’m relying on myself, but the Bible tells us over 100 times to not be afraid, to have no fear. And with every command to fear not, God provides a way for us to overcome our fears. And by the way, not one of His suggestions includes overcoming fear by our own strength. 

So how do we overcome our fears? Let’s go to the source:

  • Trust That God is All-Powerful and Is Able: Psalm 56:3-4, I John 4:18, Matthew 6:25, John 14:1, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Psalm 139:23-24, 2 Corinthians 9:8
  • Understand That God is With Us and Will Never Leave Us: Psalm 23:4, Deuteronomy 31:6, I Chronicles 28:20
  • Know That God Has Equipped Us With Everything We Need: 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:13, I Corinthians 16:13, Philippians 4:6-8

This week, let’s begin our journey to victory over fear and worry by:

  • Meditating on scripture. Every time a worry pops in your mind, repeat scripture, speaking truth and God’s promises into your life (Psalm 1:2, 2 Peter 1:4). Allow your faith to overcome your fear. Feel free to choose a text from above or anything meaningful to you. 
  • Turning your worries into prayer. “Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” God tells us to cast our cares upon Him because He cares about us (Psalm 55:22 and I Peter 5:7). Give Him your concerns, fears, and worries and let God do what He does best! Every single time you begin to worry about something, pray. For example, instead of worrying about my daughter’s protection while driving, I pray, “God, please keep my child safe from harm as she’s driving. Give her wisdom, help her be alert and make Godly choices. Send Your angels to keep watch over her and ease my worried heart.” 
  • Checking your imagination. Remember, the “Big Bad Wolf” is a fairytale. Yes, there are some things that we should fear, and some situations are fearful, but the majority of our fears are grounded in unrealistic beliefs. Sometimes we let our imaginations go wild. Let’s try to live in the here and now because tomorrow is not promised and today has enough worries of its own (Isaiah 35:3-4 and Matthew 6:34). 

Worry magnifies the problem, but prayer magnifies God (Joanna Weaver). So let’s get to praying!

Reflections

  1. How does Luke 12:25-26 speak to you?
  2. What does “faith and fear cannot co-exist” mean to you?
  3. How does understanding Who God Is help alleviate your doubts and fears?
  4. How does the quote “Worry magnifies the problem, but prayer magnifies God” speak to you?
  5. How do the aforementioned steps to overcoming fear speak to you?
  6. What are your personal LIFE Lessons?
    • Liberation: What new insights have you gained that have freed you from past thoughts or practices?
    • Inspiration: In what ways have you been spiritually, emotionally or mentally motivated to live for Christ?
    • Fortification: What additional scriptural texts, passages or stories can reinforce and strengthen you against the attacks of the enemy?
    • Edification: How might you share your story to edify others and bring glory to God?

 

Playlist

As you process, digest, and apply what’s been shared, here are a few songs from my “I Surrender All” Playlist. Listen and let the music infiltrate your soul. Read the lyrics and let the words encourage you. And I pray that you’ll be blessed as I was. 

Prayer