Tag: fear

Posted on

Clothed in fear

I was 18 years old and one year removed from high school. My 40 hour a week job was supplying more than enough money for my late teenage lifestyle, but I knew that printing t-shirts would not be a lifelong endeavor. So I began the process of applying for colleges.

Coupled with my landline phone and the US News and World Report list I began calling to request applications. NIU, ISU, WIU, and all the U’s and I’s out there, including the University of Illinois. I submitted applications to ISU, NIU, and SIU. I completely filled out the application to University of Illinois and it sat with the self-addressed envelope sent with it. I never mailed it in. Let me tell you why, FEAR.

The UofI had a minimum acceptance ACT acceptance score of 24. My ACT score was 24. The UofI required a top 25% of your class graduation rate. I achieved that. Yet, even with all those things in my favor, the fear of rejection loomed large enough that I was unwilling to part with the $25 application fee and a 30 cent stamp. I feared they would not want me. So I put all my Fighting Illini dreams on hold because I was too afraid to take the risk.

Little in life is a sure thing. Most things we do require some courage and faith. Courage and fear sit in opposition of one another. Fear is often the loudest voice, but is not always the voice that is most accurate. Fear both screams and whispers into our ear and souls to keep us from taking chances, chasing dreams, and obeying God. This little story is a snapshot of most of my life. Taking a sure thing, the small bet, the safe route. Limiting risk and reward in life. Yet, God calls us out of our comfort onto the space of faith where so much is unknown, risks must be taken, and trust in him is required. I may never know if I was meant to wear Orange and Blue, but I know I will no longer dress myself in fear.

Posted on

The Boundary Line of Promises

 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. Exodus 23:31

As parents we make promises. Our kids minds are like bear traps for those promises. So on the fifth or five hundredth time asking for what they want, they, with gentle eyes and tender tones say “but you promised”. Promises are commitments we make. Promises are tied to our word and our character, that what we have said will be done. Promise are made to be kept. God is a promise maker and a promise keeper.

Yet, promises have boundary lines. As the Lord was delivering the law to the children of Israel, he also outlined the borders of the land that they would inherit. From Red Sea to Mediterranean Sea, from the desert to the Euphrates River, that was the land. It was a great land, full of promise as promised by God, but the lines were drawn. Even within that land the Lord marked out lands for each of the tribes of Jacob.

Where I think we get in trouble with God is calling God on a promise that was never given to us. In my days at Lee University, there was a young preacher in search of his bride. Girl after girl, he approached with the same message: “The Lord told me you were to be my wife.” This young man burned through girlfriends like me and buddy consumed Papa John’s pizza on a Friday night. Neither lasted very long. I am uncertain what voice this young man was hearing, but each of his presumed promises that never seem to stick were in truth outside the lines God had drawn for his life. I think he eventually married, but not before trying to take on promises that were never his to partake of.

I think sometimes we get promise envy. We see the greener grass of someone else’s promise land. We get a taste of their honey and grapes and think it is better tasting than our own vineyards and bees produce. What has to be kept in mind is that is their promise. God has measured and marked out the promises for our lives and we are to live within those.

God has promises for you. God has plans for you. God has great things for your life. All these are true, but they exist within the boundary lines of the promises God has laid out for me. I have a love of music. I think in music. I learn in music. I am horrible at playing a musical instrument. I tried to learn the guitar. I had now Grammy award winning music producer as a guitar instructor in college. He eventually looked at me and said “this may not be for you”. And he was write, because of my love for music had I been any good, I would have been living with 7 guys in 1 bedroom apartment in LoBro Nashville still eating Ramen off the $3 of tips thrown in my guitar case. I have a promise of being behind a microphone, but not as a Nashville star. My promise is as communicator. Those are the lines God has drawn for my life. To chase a musical promise would be to step outside the boundary of my life.

So be content in the promise God has given you. Live there, thrive there, because in the land of that promise is his purpose for you in the plan of his Kingdom.

So be content in the promise God has given you. Live there, thrive there, because in the land of that promise is his purpose for you in the plan of his Kingdom.

promises

Posted on

3 Tips to Quit Chasing Raccoons

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.
Song of Solomon 2:15

Chasing Raccoons.png

My mom made a brazen decision.

She opted to leave her 17 year old and 18 year old sons home alone for the weekend. She was assured we wouldn’t throw a raging party. I had got in trouble for my “social gathering” I hosted the year before.

So with 3 days and 4 bedrooms left to ourselves my brother, Craig, and I set out for a thrilling weekend as bachelors.  Which really just meant lots of frozen pizza and drive through dinners.

The first night went without a hiccup. It was the second night where hell seemingly broke loose.

About 1 am while I was fast asleep, my older brother slips quietly down to my basement bedroom like a ninja.  In what could only be described as a loud whisper, I hear “Jeff”.  Startled by the harsh quiet tone, I sort of open one eye.  Again, Craig hits me with the hard whisper, “Jeff”.

Finally, slightly stirred from my slumber. Craig tells me the reason for his late night intrusion. “Jeff, someone is stealing my car, I can hear them.”

With my mom gone, Craig as the elder son, took the rights of the oldest to claim mom’s parking spot up near the garage.

Finally, now alert enough to understand his fear, we peer through the tiny square shaped basement window only to see the rear tire of the 1989 Pontiac Sunbird. What our eyes could not see, our ears could hear.  Something was stirring right outside the window.

Craig with constant bravery allowed me out the door and up the stairs first, baseball bats in hand.  And now was we crested the top step which lead straight to the back door, we were about to come face to face with the criminals.

Like a scene from a movie, we slowly open the creaking screen door and step out onto the back porch step…hearts racing, butterflies in the belly and zero plan on what to do with what we would see.

And then, in that moment, we were face to face…with three little raccoons.

It is amazing how often in life we let the little noises create big fears. Now I am not saying there are not big situations and circumstances that we come face to face with. But the truth is we so often let the little raccoons create thieves of our peace, our joy and our ability to be content. When the truth is often revealed of our fears what we find is there was nothing to fear to begin with.

Here is how you face the fear:
1) see the raccoons for just raccoons.  Yeah, they eat your trash, but they aren’t stealing your car. Don’t make bigger to do’s of the little things.

2) be truthful with yourself. The fear of the unknown often leads us to create the narrative of the worst case possible. At 1 am in the night, the greater likelihood was exactly what we found, raccoons in the trash. Tell yourself the truth. Be honest about the situation within the proper context.

3) don’t just listen to the noise. The noises of life will always lead you to believe raccoons can steal your car. If you hear fear, face the fear with facts and what you know is true.  Don’t chase the raccoons in your mind. Pursue truth. Even if the truth is the worst case scenario, at least then you know and create a plan on how to deal with the facts.

We all have raccoons that threaten our peace.  Odds are they are not stealing your car, so don’t let them take your peace either.

Posted on

Not Again

 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again
Romans 8:15a

NOtAgain.png

My name is Jeff and I have lived afraid.

But not in the way of being afraid of the boogie man, ghosts or Michael Jackson in the Thriller video.

No, fear has been a constant companion.  Fear has been my shotgun rider in the beat up Buick of life.  Fear has convinced me he was a friend.

But truthfully, fear is a punk.  As writer, blogger and queso eater Jon Acuff writes, “Regardless of what you want to do or who you are, fear will always see you as wholly unqualified for anything you ever dream or attempt.” And in moments of life when everything seemed to be moving along swimmingly, fear would invite itself to the party and interrupt life.  And I would panic with “not again”.

Fear becomes an emotional handicap.  It paralyzes decision making.  It cripples relationships.  It damages dreams.  And you don’t even get special parking for the restrictions it creates.

The Apostle Paul, missionary, church planter, author and I want to believe queso eater penned these words to the church at Rome:
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again

God’s Holy Spirit is the life encountering daily presence of God in our lives.  Paul let’s us know that when we come to Christ we are given the Spirit and the Holy Spirit is a our William Wallace from the bondage of fear.

There is this reminder tucked in the letter to the church at Rome.  That the Spirit who has freed you from the slavery of fear did so that you would not go back.

Again is a strong word.  Again means you have before.  Again means it was built into the fabric of your life.  Again means it was what you were identified with, what you did, how you lived.

But we have the opportunity by power of God’s Holy Spirit to say “not again” to the punk named Fear.  Not again to let that fool ruin a dream.  Not again to the whispered lies in mind that says you will never overcome. Not again to the insecurity that fear decorates the mind with. NOT AGAIN.

If fear has kept you captive you don’t have to remain in the cave of your life.  You can walk out into the freedom and not go back.  You can live with a “not again” belief that is given by the Spirit.

My name is Jeff and not again.

error

Stay Connected!