Unshackled Moments ~ June 9 ~ Facing The Fear Monster

I had a nightmare last night. It's a pretty regular occurrence here lately. As I lay in bed trying to go back to sleep and praying that I could be done with the tormenting dreams for the rest of the night, I thought for a moment about my childhood nightmares. There were a few. Most times I responded by first trying to change the channel. I can remember as a child pretending my belly button was a screen selection button and imagining that if I pushed it I could change the channel and make my mind play something different. Sometimes this would work and the fear would fade away and I would slip back off to sleep to dream of flying or riding motorcycles or something else wonderful.

Sometimes though changing the channel didn't work. Sometimes the channel wouldn't change. Sometimes when I fell back asleep I would drift back into the very dream I had tried to escape from or maybe even find myself in a worse dream. Sometimes I couldn't go back to sleep. And in each of these times the fear would increase, and I would get more and more  uncomfortable, miserable and afraid laying there on the top bunk above my brother.

Usually when that happened I responded by swinging down from my bed, trying hard not to step on my little brother or wake him, and then I would walk to my parent's room to wake my Mom.  I would tell her that I had a bad dream, and she would pray for me and with me and send me back to bed. There may be times that didn't work, but I can't remember any. I do remember though, especially as I grew older, times that I tried to be a big boy and not go to Mom when I became afraid at night and the fear only got worse. It would grow until I wasn't afraid of the dream any more but had begun fearing being afraid. Fearing fear is a rough mutation.

And that can happen even today at 45 years of age if I try to battle the fear monster on my own strength. We don't have to live in fear. Fear can drive us to do a lot of things and react to situations in any number of ways, and most of them just make the situation worse. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), but that doesn't mean we won't ever experience fear and worry.

I can't remember my Mom ever getting angry or upset that I bothered her or woke her when I got scared at night. She would comfort me and pray for me. And the truth is that our Heavenly Daddy doesn't get upset with us for being afraid either. We haven't failed by experiencing fear. We don't have to muster up courage or faith or defeat the fear within us ourselves in order to please God. In fact, we can't do that. We can not control the faith within us or the rate at which it grows. Faith comes as a gift from God and from our going to Him in times of need and learning from experience that He is our refuge and our strength. We also can not control the fear which grows within us or the rate at which it grows. The peace that overcomes fear does not come from us but from God.

We are His children, and it is not a sin to experience fear. He doesn't hold it against us or become displeased with us. But He wants us to run to Him when we become afraid so that He can comfort us, so that He can intercede on our behalf and so that we can experience the truth that He is our answer and solution. His response is to wrap us in His love and assure us that He is with us. He neither expects or desires for us to overcome fear on our own. He wants us to rely on and call upon Him.

Today when worry and fear come against us, let us run to Daddy for help, comfort, refuge and relief. Sometimes the fear will be immediately dissipated. Sometimes we might still feel afraid but also continue to go the right way on the right path because Daddy is holding our hand. Either way, the next right thing is always to rely on and seek Him. He will not turn us away. He will not tell us to grow up, be our own strength  or to get our fear under control before bothering Him with our problems. He will not call us foolish or failures for being afraid. We have never been called to be self-sufficient. It is not desired nor expected of us.

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

- Psalm 32:7

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.