When it storms...Don't look down

WHEN IT STORMS DON’T LOOK DOWN


A VERSE TO REMEMBER: Matthew 14:27, "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid. "



A THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Unexpected difficulties and trials are certain to enter our lives. Will we view them as an obstacle or an opportunity?



Fear! It is such a small word to pro¬voke such a large emotion. We all feel it from time to time, and like other emotions it can affect our actions and attitudes. We come by it naturally. In fact, we begin to experi¬ence fear in our lives even before such emo¬tions as grief or anger.



As small children we are conditioned to fear certain things. Parents, teachers, friends, siblings, books, television, and our own experiences are all contributors in lead¬ing us to fear various situations and objects.



Most of these are healthy fears. We learn to fear wild animals, hot stoves, or busy streets. However, we also learn to fear ghosts, mon¬sters, and the dark. Our fears can only be subsided by one thing; the presence of our loving parents and a trust in them to protect us. A child may be afraid when he climbs up onto a high wall, but he quickly learns that he can jump safely into his father's outstretched arms. The fear is gone because of the presence of his father.



Have you ever heard the saying, "the more things change, the more they remain the same!"? Well, we are all grown up now, but the fear has not gone away. Unfortunately, fear is a major emotion in our life and encompasses much of our thoughts. We fear strangers, fire, and crime. In addition to these external fears, we also experience serious inner fears. Am I getting old? Do other people like me? What if I fail? We fear for our jobs, we fear for our children, we fear for our lives.



Yes, the fear has remained with us, but somehow we have forgotten about the pres¬ence of our Father. We spend so much time looking down at our earthly fears and worries that we have no time to raise our eyes with a heavenly focus. Remember the words of Jesus found in Luke 12:27-28. "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, 0 you of little faith?"



One of the amazing findings concerning fear in adults today is that even though our fears become more complicated as we grow older, the general objects of our fear have not changed that much. During this series we will look at five different unhealthy fears that are common to both children and adults. Through scripture and discussion we will try to replace these earthly fears with heavenly focus.



One of the first fears we are conditioned to learn in life is the fear of storms. Lightning, thunder, wind, and rain can be a frightening combination to a child who does not understand the purpose and good that can come from a much needed storm. Rain is vital to life. It provides water to drink and water to feed the vegetation, which in turn produces oxygen for us to breathe. The wind acts as a means of transporting seeds and fertilization as well as cooling or drying the earth. However, children do not understand that the storms are a part of God's plan. They only hear the noise and feel the fear.



As adults, we have grown to understand and accept God's awesome and complex method of providing the much needed rain. However, storms come in many packages. Life brings us a variety of trials that we do not under¬stand. Death, illness, failed projects, and other various trials are all a part of the "storms of life." They will inevitably come our way. Just like a summer shower, these storms of life will arrive when we least expect them. We may not understand them, but we must trust that our God is in control, that He loves and cares for us, and that He is there to help us through even the most difficult of times.



There is nothing wrong with fear. It is how we react to fear that is important. The storms of life can come in all shapes and sizes. They will inevitably come. Job was certainly no stranger to them. He stated in Job 14:1, "Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble." Storms will come when we least expect them, and they will sometimes hit where we are vulnerable. Will we use them as a stumbling block or a step¬ping stone?



Our trials and tribulations are the things that make us stronger and can bring us closer to God (James 1 :2,3). We must keep our faith in God and know that we cannot always understand the reasons behind these difficulties. In Matthew 20:29, Jesus told Thomas that he believed only what his eyes could see. He then told him that blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.



Are we willing to go, by faith, where God leads us, even when the road is rocky? Do we recognize that God is there in the midst of the storm? Will we keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus or will we take a glance at our earthly fears? Will we take the opportunity to cry out to Him in our time of need? If so, then we are ready to conquer our fear of the storms of life.



Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?



2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.