What helps you face and overcome your fears? Tell us on the blog today: http://talk.thelife.com/
“Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast” (Psalm 22:9.)
If you are a mother, you know what fear is. Irrational fears of heights or small spaces are pushed aside for what we consider rational fears or very real possibilities.
What if my child gets sick and the doctors can’t help her?
What if he gets bullied at school?
What if she resists or denies my love?
What if he rejects God?
These and many more questions swirl through our minds each day.
God uses our role as parents to teach us about Himself. Not only do we get a new perspective on God’s love for us when we have children of our own, but we are put in a position of need.
We will never know that God can provide for us until we have a need. Therefore, our fears for the future of our children can be the tool God uses to teach us to rely of Him.
Many of our fears come from not being able to control either the future or the current situation that our children are in.
God gives us the reassurance we need in Psalm 27, by correcting our perspective.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident” (Psalm 27:1 – 3).
Being out of control is not a reason to fear, because God is the stronghold of our lives, the LORD is our light and our salvation.
We have an Almighty God who created the universe; nothing is beyond His control.
~Thank You, God, that You are my reason not to be afraid. I know that evil men will still advance against me and my children, but You are my salvation. I will trust in You.
About the Author
This devotional was written by Suzanne Benner. Read more about Suzanne: http://www.talk.thelife.com/suzanne-benner/
Questions
1. Where do our fears as mothers come from?
2. What steps can we take to move beyond our maternal fears?
3. Let’s pray and ask God to deliver us from all our fears.
Comment
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Since I became a mother, I find I am much less fearful for myself; most of my fear synapses have been rerouted towards my children. Because I don’t want them to timid, fearful, children, I know how important it is to not broadcast my own fears. So, I have also found that I pray a lot more as a mother! Fear can be a catalyst for faith.
One of my biggest fears is that even though we are teaching our children about Christ and seeking to model lives centered on Him, that they will reject Christ and make destructive choices with lifetime and eternal consequences. I am especially concerned that my children see in us an authentic faith, not just “professional Christians” who do ministry as a career. This one drives me to my knees.
I have lots of other fears for my kids that are more banal and ridiculous. Will a cougar eat them in Grandma and Grandpa’s yard? Will one of the thorny bushes on the bike path poke out their eyes? Will they one day inflict a mortal wound when fighting with one another? Will a child on the playground point out one of their unique characteristics, tease them and label them for life?
What about you? What fears do you have for your children? How do you replace fear with faith? We’d love to hear from you!
Do our fears for our children ever subside? My children are adults now and yet I find myself fearful for their well-being. I am concerned that their choices could cause them heart ache and grief later on. I am concerned when I see them making choices that do not honor God and the faith they grew up with. I often find myself wondering how to love the ’sinner’ without condoning the ’sin’ especially when it is your own adult child that you are dealing with.
Where do these fears come from? I think they come from our love for our children. We want only what is best for them and when we feel that their choices are not the best, then we fear the possible consequences.
I am left pondering – is this how God feels about us, His children? We fear possible consequences for our children; God knows what the consequences are going to be for us. Exploring our motherly instincts can give us a whole new perspecive on God, can’t it?
I have come to know that my fear was all control based. I could not protect myself or my children from the storm of life that we all face living here on planet earth. I have learned that Jesus alone can reach people where they need to be found.
I have learned that He is The Great Shepard of the sheep. So when I am afraid cling heavily to Psalm 34 I pray the Lord’s prayer, and I open my heart especially to the part about ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliever us from evil.’
For some reason it took me so long to comprehend that God is with us and continues to be involved in all of our lives. The longer I have been on the road the more I know this to be true.
The only way I stop being afraid is to rely on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And to take Him at His word.
‘Be still and know that I AM GOD’
My children are adults now (well they are in age) 21 and 19. I pray for them everyday to continue to lean on the Lord. My daughter is in Hawaii and really just trying to find her way. God has taught her alot and when she had a time of “hurt” she turned to the church, which made my heart leap. I believe that when your children (who are really God’s children) are brought up in the church; even when they stray or make terrible decisions (against what God wants them to do) when they can’t find anyone (or feel like anyone) is around to help them – they will turn to the Lord. It’s instilled in them.
My son says he has doubts or maybe even unbelief in God – this happened when my mother passed away and he prayer that she wouldn’t. I have spoken to him and let him know what I believe and he respects that.
I do have fear for my children when God returns and they won’t be with me due their disobedience toward God. I think all I can do is pray for them, talk to them, and let God convict them? Is this right?
Im still afraid of a lot of things…. moreso now as a mom…
I still have all kinds of fear & worry…
I have to keep reminding myself God is in control…
I have to internalize it…
I have to meditate on His words…
I was someone who dreaded that something bad would happen to me and it always turned out that whatever i was afraid of, God would send those fears to me. Two years ago, I had malaria and nearly died. I held on tightly to my faith and refused to let Him go. He did not let me down and He provided for all my needs, from doctors to nurses and friends.
Last year, I broke my leg in a freak accident. Had to stay at home and relied on friends to fetch my kids to school or to do my chores. Had to go around in clutches for two months. Questioned God at that time for the timing but looking back, He knew best.
I want to thank God that He always speaks to me through His words and they never fail to comfort me.
Now, I am stronger and not easily shaken. A month ago, my son choke and swallowed a piece of chicken bone. He had to undergo emergency op but I was not shaken because I knew He would there.
So, it is no use fighting fears. Recognise them and submit to God, telling God that you are ready to face anything as long as He is there. and most of all, PRAY AT ALL TIMES.
I am not a mother yet, but I practically raise my niece. I think fear for the children is something that we all face, but what helps me is to rememeber this:
“Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important than the fear.” ~Princess Diaries
This is true. Because as parents, or aunts, or godparents we worry about the children, but when it comes down to it, their well being is more important than that fear. We need to stand strong and be faithful and pray for them. My niece walked away from God and I was very fearful of what would happen to her. But I just kept praying and knowing that God would call her back. And He did. She has come back to the Lord, and it wasn’t anything that I did, it was God.
Pray for them, that is the best thing you can do, and also remember that “Faith is not believing that God can, it is knowing that God will!
Blessings in Him,
Marci
The topic of fear used to be very prevalent in my life. I was afraid of so many things that it actually hindered my life from being what God had intended it to be.
God does not give us the spirit of fear but of love and courage “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 )
I came to realize that Satan puts those thoughts of fear in my mind because if I am fearful I am not trusting in the all powerful God and then I am not able to serve God the way He would want me to. It is a very clever way that Satan can control our minds so that we are no longer useful in God’s kingdom.
Letting God be in control takes all the burdens off my shoulders and gives me the peace that only He can give.
(1 John 5:14-15) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him???
I am a mother-to-be and I think as most new-time moms have been, I fear about the labor and delivery. Moreso, I worry if our monthly income can support the coming of a new person in our home. But constantly, I get reminded by God that He will never forsake us and He will sustain our needs. We may experience occasional financial shortage and emotional hang-ups but our Heavenly Father will always prove Himself persistently that He is in control, and He will never abandon us. Anyways, He knows our needs even before we need it. Praise God for His great Love and faithfulness.
Motherhood is such a gift and our children are loaned to us from God. They belong to Him and he was so loving to allow me to have the wonderfull opportunity to know and love them. Their are times when I am fearfull for my children and grandchildren, but then I am reminded in some way that my family has all the protection from this thing called fear by prayer and giving thanks to our heavenly Father for his protection and unending love for us, for HIS forgiveness when we forget who He is. I am a widow and have no parents who I can visit on these special days but I do know that they are with the LORD and I will rejoice when we are together again. So please always remember the wonderfull moments that we all shared when we had our Mom’s and Dad’s with us and enjoy the peace that comes from knowing that they are in the arms of our Savior.ALWAYS PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN EVEN WHEN YOU THINK THEY WILL NEVER COME TO KNOW JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR FOR HE KNOWS WHERE YOUR HEART IS AND HE WANTS YOU TO HAVE JOY AND PEACE
KaithwFaith, you’ve been on my heart and I want to pray for you.
Father, thank You for the life you’ve created in KaithwFaith and for the plan You have for this mom-to-be and her child. I pray that You will show Yourself to be the calmer of fears, the Rock of refuge, the provider of everything. I pray that You will protect her and her child during the delivery. I pray that You will empower KaithwFaith and her husband to be the kind of parents You call them to be. I pray that You will surprise KaithwFaith with Your blessings. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thank you very much Stacy for praying for me, my baby and my husband. There are so many adjustments being a newly wed and being a first-time mom but with God by our side and Him sending people like you into our lives to encourage and inspire us, life gets much, much easier. Thank God more for you. :)