We all get scared.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a 3-year-old who is desperate for a night light or a 50-year-old who is desperate for a good MRI report. Fear is something we have to battle every day.
My son, Noah, is 4 and he’s in that super active imagination phase where he is waking up in the middle of the night because he’s afraid. He kept telling me he was afraid of his closet, so I would show him that there was nothing in there except clothes and books. Then it was the shadows from his toys so I put a night light. Then it was noises in the hall so I showed him it was just daddy walking to the bathroom.
For a long time I tried to explain what everything was, thinking if he knew the truth he wouldn’t be scared anymore.
But then I realized: fear isn’t rational.
So I went to what God says. In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
I went back in the next night with a plan. When Noah woke up scared, I hugged him and I said, “God is with you so you don’t have to be afraid. He is bigger and stronger than any monsters you think you see. You can pray and ask God to help you not be scared and to give you good, sweet dreams.”
The other day he had a scary dream and when he was describing it to me, I said, “what can you do when you’re scared?” And Noah said, “ask God to help me.”
It made me realize, it is really that simple.
Whether you’re a little kid with little problems or a grown up with grown up problems, God doesn’t change the scripture. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
He tells us not to be afraid. But sometimes we forget. We’ll let fear carry us. We’ll let the news consume us. We’ll let finances stress us out. We’ll let a lab report put us in the grave.
But God says – DO NOT FEAR.
This is the truth to ground you – God is good. God loves you. God wants the best for you. And when the fear doesn’t allow you to be rational – you pray, “God, help me not be scared.” It is that simple and He is THAT faithful. We don’t need to over complicate it.
Kristen James
Morning Show Host, STAR 99.1 | Listen Now