May S.E.E. Blog

What You Fear
by Sheryl Idema

Uncertainty! There are not many things that can drive us to fear like uncertainty and our present reality feels like walking through life in a fog so thick we can see maybe six inches in front of us. Will I ever recover the 401K that was to be my retirement? Will the childhood fantasy of a princess in a white dress, “I do,” a dream come true, be reduced to five people before a judge? Will my son who was to try out for the Olympic swimming trials miss the one and only chance to fulfill his dream? Will my church ever be allowed to seat as many people as can fit in the doors, without masks, without wondering if the person sitting next to us could be lethal?

Often, when Christians face uncertainty, we grab our favorite phrase “God’s got this!” with an expectation that miraculously: “No more fear! Back to paying the bills!” Then our ears perk up when we hear: “Quarantine will go through June 30!” Then: “There is no way we will make it now!” Followed by: “What kind of a Christian am I? I’m not supposed to fear! My faith is so weak!”

Andrew Murray in his book The Spiritual Life says: “The man who fears lest he should sin against God and give way to the flesh is the man who gets to fear nothing because God is his strength.” Is he suggesting we are to fear? And at the same time be fearless? Scripture says: “Do not Fear!” and it says: “Blessed is the man that fears!” How can they both co-exist. It all depends on what you fear.

Historically my way to cope with uncertainty was to seize control or blame shift, intellectualize or rationalize my way out of uncertainty, or cram my fears in a vault. To admit fear existed, produced debilitating shame that would bring out the “I’m doing great” mask. God in his mercy, has helped me realize that when fear strikes, and I cope in certain ways (my flesh) I am operating apart from Christ. I am attempting to squelch my fear through my resources: intellect, blame-shifting, or picking myself up by my bootstraps and get moving. 

Now when the prospect of not walking again coils itself to strike fear to the core, I’m reminded by the Spirit of life inside me that my resources, at best, will give me moments of peace. But when I deny the flesh, and embrace life in the Spirit, I can walk fearlessly no matter the circumstances, because God is my strength. Fear is a Mighty Goliath when fought with my flesh, but a meager pile of dust when fought with God’s strength. 

My flesh will never conquer fear. It holds me captive, exhausts me, victimizes me, isolates me. But when I live from the Spirit, I can face any circumstance- fearless because God is my strength. When I am weak, (bringing nothing of mine to the battle against fear), then I am strong (standing fearless in God’s strength). What do you fear? Do you long for life in the Spirit? Do you desire to never fight fear with your arsenal of feeble weapons? If the answer is YES-Walk fearless through any circumstance because God is your strength. 

How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
Psalms 31:19

He will bless those who fear the Lord,
The small together with the great.
Psalms 115:13

He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

All of the sudden our finances face much uncertainty. Will the economy come back quickly?  Will my job income continue like before COVID-19? The reality is that with these pandemic times, we are facing more unknowns than normal when it comes to our money. These articles are selected to help us navigate our way through this unprecedented season. Dive in and get great biblical wisdom on how to move forward managing our financial resources!

How Coronavirus Is Affecting the Economy: What You Need to Know

Six Coronavirus Scams to Avoid

Greetings to the Parents at Frontline! As our society continues to grapple with the COVID pandemic, our lives and schedules have been upended and we are all forced to adjust to a, hopefully temporary, new normal. The FBC Kids ministry team knows that things may be tough right now. For some of us, that means we are essential workers and we are trying to navigate schooling at home and increased demands at work. For others, we are now at home with kids whose schedules have been rocked by sports programs being cancelled, online-school, and limited to no chance to hang out with friends. On top of those things, we may be battling reduced income and our own anxiety about the future. As these numerous and difficult issues vie for the energy and attention of parents, we would encourage all parents to be realistic about your expectations for yourself and for your family. Some days are harder than others, some days we as parents feel angry, sad, anxious. It is a good time to recognize what is in our control and surrender the rest to the LORD. There are many good resources to help, below is a link to an article with suggestions and resources that may be helpful as you navigate this time. Please know that we care about you as parents, we miss seeing your kids, and we are praying for you! https://www.pinerest.org/setting-realistic-expectations-during-challenging-times-blog/

What is a psalm? Simply put, a psalm is a song. The word literally means a praise, to shine…How fitting in these times of darkness and confusion, that we have constant lights (psalms) to guide the way! This week’s playlist are songs drawn straight from Scripture, reminding us of God’s Presence & Constant Love in these trying times. Enjoy this weeks playlist Psalms of Perseverance.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER IS MAY 7. Grace Christian University is hosting a National Day of Prayer program online this year! Videos will be posted on their Facebook page and may be viewed there. Learn about it here National Day of Prayer with Grace Christian University