Faith vs. Fear

We recently had a ladies conference at our church.  And to just be real transparent, I didn't want to go.  The reason I didn't want to go isn't spiritual at all, it's really quite fleshly, but I'll still let you in on the secret:  I didn't want to go because I didn't have anybody to BE with!  (My 16 year old daughter was attending, but, of course, she wanted to be with her friends.  And I didn't want to "guilt" her into being with mom.) Finally, after much internal struggling with God, I decided He wanted me to not only go but to ask a newer lady in our church to sit with me.  She had decided (unbeknownst to me) that she wasn't going to go either!  But when I asked her to sit with me, she decided to go as well.  

Anyway, our special speaker this year was Amy Vassak, from Northeast Baptist Church in Danbury, CT, where her husband is the pastor.

She spoke twice to all the ladies and then during some split sessions. Her session on marriage dealt with Faith vs. Fear, something I had already been dealing with in my own life.

Faith vs. Fear is my new "self talk."  Do you talk to yourself?  I unashamedly talk to myself.  Maybe it's an only child thing, I'm not sure.  But I talk to myself quite often.  Now I don't stand in front of the mirror talking to myself like I did when I was a child, and I very seldom answer myself, but I make a habit of talking to myself.  Especially when my thinking is all messed up, which is quite often.

I have been married now for 17 years, and our marriage has not been without its difficulties.  I can choose to worry about where my husband is, what he's doing, who he's with.  OR I can choose to have faith that God will take care of Him, and I can PRAY for my husband.

Faith

or

Fear

I am the mother of 9 children ranging in age from 16 to 7 months.  I can choose to worry about my children when they are away from me.  I can worry that they will make wrong choices.  I can worry about what they are doing, who they are with, what they are thinking, whether or not they are safe, etc. OR I can choose to have faith that God will take care of them, and I can PRAY for my children.

Faith

or

Fear

Maybe you come from a "model family," but I don't, and I'm not one bit sorry about that because I have learned so many life lessons as a result. Sometimes in my mixed-up, crazy life one or several relationships will get "out-of-sorts."  It's been happening for as long as I can remember.  And usually these relationship struggles get resolved at some point or another.  I have allowed myself to fret and worry about these relationships at different points in my life.  I have lamented the fact that they were not what they should be.  But I am learning that there is only so much one person can do in repairing broken relationships. Relationships take two people. When I have finally given my broken relationships to God, He has taken them and made them into something that I could never have imagined.  I have seen Him do it firsthand!  Why do I worry? Who do I fear?

Faith

or

Fear

This is something I struggle with on a daily, if not hourly, basis!  I find my "self talk" times being characterized by Faith or Fear.

FAITH = Praying

FEAR = Worrying

Why don't you start talking to yourself? (Most of us do anyways!) Tell yourself to have Faith and not Fear! Post signs around your house that say "Faith OVER Fear."  Your mind can only think one thought at a time, so make that thought one of Faith and not one of Fear!