The Fear Monger - What If?

There is a place in my mind where fear continues mongering. It spews relentless questions at me that threaten to drive me crazy if I do not take the time to hush them. It must be murdered for the villain it is within; it cannot be trifled with there is no room for it. It can be absolutely destructive if it is not killed off completely.

I know many moms struggle with this too.

• Will my child return home after I give him the keys? What if an accident occurs?
  
• Will my child ever be able to live without me? What if someone takes advantage of her?
  
• Will my child be kidnapped? What if someone steals him?
  
• Will these people I am entrusting with my child treat her correctly? Will they understand her? What if they crush her with their words?
  
• Will my child be okay after another bout of sickness? What if I lose them to death?
  
   Fear has a way of mongering, dealing itself in unfair questions, stealing faith, joy and contentment that we should rest quietly in but fear grips us.

However, where is the fear-monger? Because these questions come in thoughts, how do we identify the invisible?  How do we do battle within the mind? First, this kind of fear is not from God, it is from the accuser of our souls or the depths of our own hearts. It exposes places where we fail to trust God's deep love for us.

When we are washed in His love, His perfect love drives out fear. Fear has to do with punishment. The enemy of our souls want us to believe this punishment or darkness of things that probably will never happen. We cannot no let our minds run away with fear of the future.

The truth we must believe and hold fast to is God's steadfast love for us. Any punishment that we do deserve was already paid for fully and completely on the cross by the One who loves us fully and completely. He took it all. Sure, life is hard and there is still trouble. We are in between the full arrival of the Kingdom but because of His death and resurrection we are free from the chains of fear and doubt. We can say with confidence yes, what if? but what if has not happened and I trust all things fully to the One who has my best and my children's best at heart; a heart of true love.

Let yourself be washed in His love; swim in it. Splash around and bask in it. You are fully loved because He chose you which in turn you accepted. That's all. If you are His, stop letting the fear-monger influence your thoughts and rob you of the joy and peace that are yours; they are sent by the Father, were purchased by the precious blood of Christ and poured into you by the Spirit. Let that truth wash over you and let the fear-monger fall to the wayside.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).