Fear

I'm not really referring to the typical sympathetic fight or flight response when I'm talking about fear but I wonder if any of you find that the concept of fear prevents you from taking on certain things in life?

Would you ever think of doing the following?

- not take on a certain job because it would be too hard?

- not engage in a relationship because you anticipate it will take too much time or energy? or even get hurt?

- not going for an opportunity because you're not good enough?

I think overall I come across as a confident individual who exhibits very little fear but in honesty, life is scary! With the recent reassignment of the foundation jobs (read story here), it has been a wake up call that life itself is not predictable. I'm glad that at these times we can 'trust in the Lord with all [our] heart[s] and lean not on [our own] understanding. In all [our] ways submit to him and he will make [our] paths straight' (Proverbs 3:5-6)

For the Lord tells us to focus on the present and not have to worry about tomorrow. This doesn't mean we should be unwise with our decisions, but simply trusting in the Lord when he has opened doors for us.

Would it be fair to say that fear is not trusting in the Lord?

Matthew 6:25-34

New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.