What are You Afraid of?

If you feel fear in your life, this story is for you.  This is a subject most of us can agree on.  There is more fear in the world today than there was before this pandemic started.  The Dark Side must be doing cartwheels.  Suicides are on the rise.  Murder is rampant.  The world seems to be on the brink of war in more than one region.  If we haven't experienced fear in our own lives, all we have to do is turn on the TV and listen to the media.  Take a moment and ask yourself, "What am I afraid of?"

I'm doing three things in my life to help me cope with this crazy world and I believe with all my heart this is a winning combination.  I'll start with the first one, worshipping in person at my house of worship.  It was a nice gesture to grant permission to watch services online, especially for the vulnerable who are nervous about going outside.  There's something about being in a community that somehow fades when you are alone.  By the way, God commands us to worship, not because he needs us but because we need him and he wants to be the center of our lives.  This all begins with consistent worship with others so we can support one another in our trials.

The second major step for me to fight fear is supporting Christian shows that reveal who our Savior is.  The Chosen is the real deal.  My wife and I just finished the finale of season two last night.  For me, it's the second time I've watched.  You will have to get through some technical obstacles to see this show because it's not mainstream.  You can watch the first season on YouTube or view the show on your computer.  If you want to see it on your TV, season two is only available through their app which allows streaming from your phone to your TV.  By the way, I recommend purchasing a Chromecast device in order to set up streaming from your phone to your TV.  

Finally, I'm combatting fear by listening to the Bible on a daily podcast.  It's amazes me how twenty minutes a day of this removes any anxiety I'm feeling in my heart.  I'm only 31 days into this and I already feel like a new person.  It also helps that I met the person who is leading these daily podcasts in person while on a day job assignment in Minnesota.  Look up Fr. Mike Schmitz on YouTube if you want to give his Bible in a Year Podcast a try.  Narration helps me understand what's going on.

Here is the final question of the day... Do you want to be in charge of your life or are you willing to let God be in charge?  Do the three things I'm doing for thirty days and then return to this question.  I know from personal experience that one answer raises my anxiety levels and another answer reduces it.  If you happen to make it through the entire Bible, which is very possible in one short year if you stay with the daily podcasts, you will experience 365 times when Jesus tells us not to be afraid.  Have a great day.