The F Word

No, it is not what you think. The F word I am referring to is, FEAR.

I once heard Zig Ziglar refer to fear as "false evidence appearing real." I would say 99% of the time that is true. However, there is that small percent of time that fear is the result of something very real....like cancer.

Just the word "cancer" can strike fear into the heart of man (and woman). A lot of it is fear of pain and suffering and the possibility of death. I think that is normal. None of us really want to be in pain, and most of us really want to live. I believe that is a God-given trait. I also believe with all my heart is it something that God understands.

Just read about Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He did not say, "Wow, Father, I am really excited to be beaten and scorned and then suffer and die on the cross for the sins of man." No, He prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39b ESV) I am not a theologian, but what I get out of that is that our Savior was not particularly looking forward to what was going to happen. However, He was willing to do whatever the Father wanted. But the one thing I do not get out of that is fear. Christ was not afraid. Out of perfect love, he set aside the earthly flesh that he was temporarily walking in and continued to walk in the spirit in God's perfect will...without fear!

I have had so many people call me courageous in the past few months. I am not at all courageous. Fear is something I have struggled with a lot in the past few years. The fear that has bound me at times is the type that Zig Ziglar referred to - it was fear of nothing real. It was fear over what might happen, not what was happening.

Then I was told I had cancer. Talk about a real fight with the big F. Most of the time, I was at peace, but since chemo has been over, there have been some real fear-fighting moments in my life. I have to be on guard because there is no fear in faith. You either fear, or you have faith. They cannot coexist. You either focus on what is going on and what could happen and let it control you, or you focus on the One who is truly in control and knows what His plans are for you (Jeremiah 29:11)  and has more love for you than you can even fathom.

Fear can paralyze you. Fear can steal blessings from you. Fear can keep you from living your life for God.

Faith can free you. Faith can bring God's blessings pouring upon you. Faith can give you the courage to live your life for God.

Okay, so I know all this in my head. The challenge is to get it ingrained into my heart. That is something I am working on with God. His Word is a huge help. When I find my thoughts going down a crazy, fearful road, I will get my Bible and open it up (usually to the Psalms) and start reading it out loud and oftentimes wind up praying the words that I read to God. His peace comes in and fear goes out. Another thing I do that gets me through it is to start praying for someone else. Even just this evening, I found myself reading some posts from different people who had battled cancer and some of whom had it return a couple of years later in different areas. Fear started to grow, so I stopped and started praying for someone else I know who is now battling for his life against cancer. Before I knew it, the fear was gone.

God is amazing. My prayer in typing this is that it might one day help someone else that battles fear and that they too will come to find out that there is another F word (FAITH) that can overcome that fear with God.

Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You."