3 Steps To Get Beyond Fear of the Future

Before my cancer diagnosis I would never have called myself a fearful person. But it has been at the back of my mind trying to ride me.

 

Deep inside we feel the certainty that fear and anxiety is not a state God intended us to live in. But how do you shake it?

There are clues hidden inside Proverb 31:25, “Clothed in strength and dignity, she laughs without fear of the future.”

Let’s take it apart. Here are 3 steps to help you get beyond fear of the future so you can live fully alive:

     1. Clothed In strength.

What does it mean to be clothed in strength?  Where do you find strength when you have none?

My strength doesn’t come from within me. In fact, there are times I don’t possess any strength at all. Lots of people would comment when I went through cancer treatment, especially with little kids. “You are so strong,” they’d say.

It wasn’t me.

My strength comes from knowing God loves me. God loves me more than my love for all my children put together. More than all the mothers in the world love their children. I can lean into God’s strength to get through the day when I have none.

If you don’t feel like God loves you, that’s okay. Tell him. God is big enough to handle your feelings. Even the ugly ones. Even fear and anxiety and anger. Even when you feel like God has betrayed you.  

Tell God how you feel. Make space for God to answer.

Jesus’ response might surprise you.

      2. Clothed In dignity.

      From where does our worth come? What does it mean to carry our dignity?

Colossians 3 took over as one of my favorite sections of the Bible recently. Verse 12 says, “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.”

My worth doesn’t come from my ability to get out of bed in the morning. My worth  

doesn’t come from what I do in day. Nor does it come from any super power I might 

possess.

My worth, my dignity comes as a gift because God gave it to me. God made me worth 

something. The God of the universe decided I was worth loving. No one can render 

Jesus’ words void.

Ask God to show you that he loves you.  

Struggling with depression once, I knew God existed but I didn’t think he loved me. So I asked Jesus to show me that he loved me. 

 All of a sudden I noticed the beautiful blues and purples that shaded the sky as it darkened into night. I felt a whisper in my soul, “I created this color because I know how much you love it.”

 Ask the Creator of the universe to show you he loves you. And he will.

 3. Laugh.

 You just can’t manage to be truly, deeply worried and belly laugh. Try it. I dare you.

When was the last time you laughed until the muscles in your face or side hurt? Sometimes we have to work harder to find joy. There’s a reason that it was called “a sacrifice of praise,” in the Old Testament part of the Bible.

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. 

If you find yourself in a season of life where it’s hard to lift up your spirit find help. A funny show. A comedy movie. Comedian Jeanne Robertson is clean humor. If you don’t mind a small bit of swearing I recommend the late John Pinnet. (The first time I saw him I laughed so hard I had to have my husband stop the video so I could breathe.)

When you find yourself fearing the future it’s time to go to Jesus who can help. Lift up your cares. List all the gifts in your life. Find your worth in what God says about you. Laugh.

What have you had recently to laugh about or find joy in?