If you surrender to the wave, then you can ride it.
Fear has a way of gripping you when you anticipate the worse. I can recall a time swimming In Puerto Rico with a group of friends diving off the wall and enjoying life. In an instant my euphoria turned into dread as several of our friends challenged the group to swim across the beach to a nearby island. In that moment I chose to go with the flow and began swimming one stroke at a time. Each beam of sunlight that reflected off the waters revealed a deeper blue as shadows danced like fireflies on the surface of the water. Each stroke now caused my heart to race. Only twenty yards from land and I realized if I go ashore there was no turning back unless a lifeguard or boat came to get me. As tensions mounted my friends began to doggy paddle around me and encourage me to swim to land; yet in my defiance I decided to swim back two miles to what I perceived was safety. Even though the logical scenario was twenty yards in front of me, my mind was made up, “turn back or die.” Our thoughts tend to forecast danger. It’s a defensive mechanism for survival but uncontrolled it will convince you there is danger around every corner. Have you ever experienced something similar, the perception of future danger that created anxiety to the point you refused to get out of bed? It’s amazing the power we have between our ears.
Understanding the way, you think is a great predictor how you are going to feel. Having preconceived out comes that have not even occurred will grip you with fear. What if I don’t get the job? What if i get cancer? what if the economy collapses? What if I never get married? The what if question is designed from the subconscious to prevent you from moving forward in life. It’s like experiencing a beautiful day, yet a single dark cloud you observe is fixated in your mind. “What if it rains? “The way you think is like sowing seeds for a harvest. Our thoughts have a default mechanism to keep us comfortable, safe and secure. Anytime we resist from being comfortable or decide to change or pivot from a secure spot fear is triggered. It nudges you on the shoreline and says, “don’t go in the water, you never know what is lurking in the deep?”
Today, sow seeds of courage that things will work out in your favor. If you are still feeling overwhelmed with seeds that you are reaping of fear; choose to pull them out as weeds. The word of God states, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Note how Paul states that we have the power to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient unto Christ. In other words, if our thoughts are wild stallions, we can bronco them. We possess the power to set up our day by acknowledging the fear then pulling it out as a weed or taming it as a horse.
Being honest is a choice. Be transparent with yourself and God about your fears. The Scripture challenge us, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (psalms 139: 23-24NIV). God knows your heart; any fear or anxiety you conceal prevents Him from going to work on your behalf. Don’t be afraid to call out your fear. Recognize the feeling and connect it with the thought that triggered it. In that moment don’t feed the thought or ruminate on what is igniting the fear, conversely meditate on what is good in your life. In other words, land a plane that is full of gratefulness and wave fear to pass you by.
Paul provides instructions to assist us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” Philippians 4:6-9 NIV).
Paul understood how to surf with his thoughts. He recognized we must guard our minds from negative thoughts in Christ Jesus. He realized that fearful thoughts attempt to leave us stranded on the shore. Paul in verse 6 provided the tools to power through the wave of fear. “Pray and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Praying tackles, the wave of fear immediately. Praying positions, you to confront the wave by asking God for help as you face the moment. Look at the wave of fear and tell it “You must fall, like any other wave that looms over me!” You no longer have to wrestle with fear but surrender it to God.
Finally, I encourage you to reframe your thoughts. To reframe means to capture the best mental image that is positive and meditate and focus on that thought. Imagine a picture frame and inside of the frame is an image of a beautiful sunset casting on a beach; and way in the distance is a small illustration of darken cloud cover. You have the choice what gets the most attention. Could it be there is a tendency to focus more attention on the small dark cloud? When fearing the deep creeps up and the unknown tries to take control of the emotion, choose to meditate as Paul instructed: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things “Philippians 4:8). Today is the day to power through the wave of fear.
Dive Deep:
- List the fears you have been grappling with?
- Why it so important to meditate on things that uplift when fearful thoughts try to land on the runway of our lives?
- What does reframe mean?
- Provide an example of how you could use it.