Fearing What If

I had originally selected a different topic to write about in my fear series, but this certain topic kept arising in my personal life and I felt led to write on this area instead of another selected choice.

Has your mind ever wandered to a million places wondering what could go wrong? Have circumstances turned for the worst in the past, leaving you shuddering in fear in the present when your mind escalates of everything that could potentially arise?

I’ve allowed my mind to wander and intensify circumstances that could turn out for the worst, but in reality they come and pass and my fears sometimes are far worse than what actually occurs. I’ve allowed fear to traumatize me more than what could actually occur. I’ve let the fear of my future come in and steal my present. I’ve wallowed in fear of what could be, instead of entrusting it to God to take it all and know that whatever happens is in accordance to what God desires.

Even in situations of deep tragedy in my own life, that I didn’t see coming, God still helped pull me through and provided His support and strength. If I had known what tragedy was coming, I would have feared each step not knowing how I’d press on. Just as God had led me through every heartbreak, every dark valley and mountainous climb, God will continue to guide and provide me with just what I need to embark on what lies ahead. I don’t have to wallow in fear to help me mentally worry in preparation for what God may have in store.

Sometimes the uncertainty of the future, and knowing God is aware of my fears consumes me in anxiety, expecting Him to allow what I fear the most to occur. I’ve allowed my greatest fears to become reality in my mind, thinking God would transpire them to help deepen my faith. Worried my fears would come true caused my anxiety to escalate, and in result, I allowed my trust in God to dissipate. This allowed my faith to be overcome by my fear of what could potentially occur. What we worry about most displays areas of distrust. When we worry about something, we try to take control using our thoughts, instead of entrusting God with whatever may occur.

Maybe you too fear the “what-if’s” in your own life. You worry about what might be around the corner. What will happen next? What lies in your tomorrow? Maybe you’ve allowed the unknown to strangle your faith. Maybe you’re “what-if’s” flood your mind of endless possibilities of all that could arise, that there’s no room for God’s voice. You go to people for help. You search Google to find the answers. You crave for answers. You try to seek reasoning. You look to everything but God. I know, I’ve been there. Even with all the searching, talking and seeking, nothing seems to satisfy, calm and restore my worried heart quite like entrusting my future in God’s hands.

Maybe you’re encountering the endless questions of “what if” currently in your life. Maybe your “what if” questions are rather in accordance to your past. Let me remind you that God has got your situation in His hands. You don’t have to run every scenario through your mind to help you process what could go wrong, or what has gone wrong. You don’t have to stay up at night worrying through every outcome. You don’t have to worry through tomorrow, waiting for that fear to come true. Instead, you can entrust your fears to the One who understands the fears within you. God never desired us to fear. He wants to take our fears and place them in His hands. He wants to take the burden from us so we can live our lives more fully in Him. When we live in fear, we are paralyzed by what could occur, instead of trusting God and living to our fullest potential.

Here in Matthew we see God mentioning to take His “yoke” upon ourselves. I’ve read this verse a thousand times, but never fully understood what it meant. As I read it this time, I wondered why we should take on God’s “yoke” if we should be releasing our worries and fears. Why would we put something else on us if God wants us to find rest?

Upon digging deeper into the meaning behind the word “yoke” I discovered that as cattle embraces the yoke, it is actually submitting to its master. They are letting go of their control, and rather desire to be guided and led by someone else. When we take God’s yoke upon us, we are submitting to Him and allowing Him to lead and guide us. This can be through our circumstances, but also in accordance with our mindset and thoughts. When we submit to God, we release the doubts and worries that entrap our minds and we can be led in a more direct path. We can be led to places God desires us to go, instead of being drug down by our fears. The weight that we carry trying to determine what could arise in the future is not ours to carry. God wants us to be focused on living for Him now, and He’ll take care of tomorrow. We don’t have to be held down by the weight of tomorrow’s worries, but we can live free of fear, knowing whatever lies ahead is in God’s hands.