The fearful heart

by Joyce Rupp

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God will not always take away our difficult situations because they are often a natural part of our earthly life, but we do know that this loving presence will always hold onto us, support us and strengthen us. We have this promise constantly in the scriptures. All we need to do is reach out in faith and trust. We will lessen our worry only if we believe more completely that God’s fidelity and love will support and comfort us no matter what painful, difficult or fearful situations come to us.

We will learn how to deal with our fears if we allow ourselves to believe more totally in God’s power working in us and through us. We have the example of Jesus to encourage us in this belief:

You have known him not as a weakling, but as a power among you? Yes, but he was crucified through weakness, and still lives now through the power of God. So then, we are weak, as he was, but we shall live with him, through the power of God...(2 Cor 13:3-4).

Jesus did not give in to his fears. He knew the Father was living in him, was doing the work, and that by himself he could do nothing (Jn 5:30; 14:10).

Because we are Christian our life story is also about the story of Jesus. When we recognize the events of our lives, both the happy and the difficult, we can gain a renewed vision and let go of some of the worrying. We will be better witnesses of that peace and we will be more open to hearing God’s message.

When you find yourself feeling anxious or troubled or worried, pause to hear God saying to you, as was said so reassuringly and so often to the people of scriptures, “Do not be afraid. I am with you.”

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