Last time I talked about how my sons overcame their fear in the water. And since then they have progressed even further:)
For about a year now, I’ve been talking to them about fear…or rather freedom from it. The main source I pulled my information from are two Biblical verses that have helped me in my life. They are:
I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 (NKJV)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
Every opportunity that presented itself, I’d talk to them about those verses. About how God loves them so much that there is no reason to be afraid. Now that doesn’t mean that unwise things, like jumping in the pool without an adult watching, can’t have dangerous consequences.
Like in my previous post, I’ve also had to be a good example. I couldn’t just talk the talk without walking the walk. They would see right through me. I’ve had to overcome many fears in my own life. Not having a corporate job and going out in faith in my own business is one that I’m presently in the process of overcoming.
I see fear in people’s lives all the time. Fear of bugs, dogs, the water, like my kids went through. Fear of relationships, of not having enough money, of what people will think, and fear of change.
As a Christian, we should have no fear. There are many scriptures backing this up. Look up 1 John 4:18, 2 Timothy 1:7, and Isaiah 41:10 for a few examples. But if we really understood how much God loved us, we would realize that He’s a good God and is going to take care of us if we follow Him.
In marriage, we have to not let fear creep in. Fear can keep us from doing the right thing because we’re afraid of the reaction of our spouse. I’ve fallen victim to that line of thinking. Fear can keep us from doing the right thing first, because if we do, they could walk all over us. Fear can come in as we see the statistics of 40-50% of first time marriages ending in divorce. We think that our marriage doesn’t have a chance and was practically doomed from the start.
We have to eliminate the fear in our marriages, as well as other areas of our lives. Don’t be afraid of the statistics and how other marriages have ended. Don’t be afraid to step up and do the right (Biblical) thing in marriage and be the one to do it first. Don’t be afraid of how your spouse may react. God will honor those decisions.
A few years ago I made the decision to step up, follow God, and do what needed to be done in our marriage. Since I made that choice, God has blessed my marriage and it has made a 180 degree turn away from it’s perpetual downward spiral.
And lastly, don’t be afraid to realize that God has great things in store for your marriage…no matter what it looks like right now.
As a practical application, type the above scriptures and tape them up where you can see them all of the time. I have some taped up by my bathroom mirror (can’t miss them if I want to look at myself:) and the other set is taped up right next to my computer (which I can see right now).