Author Janice Boekhoff: Do NOT Fear

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Often I write about fear. I think it’s one of the most universal human emotions. Fear helps us to learn vital lessons like don’t touch the stove when it’s hot or don’t run a red light because you’ll probably cause an accident. But fear can easily consume us.

In my recent novel, Created, Paleontologist Travis Perego is tortured by fear. Fear of losing his job. Fear that beautiful Lenaia is hiding things from him. And fear of finding out the truth about the mysterious creature he’s hunting.

I’ve been there. I know how Travis feels, and you probably do, too. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in fear that we forget about God.

In the Bible, God says Do Not Fear more than three hundred times.

But God is the opposite of fear. Perfectly loving, full of grace, completely in control.

He fears nothing, so why do we?

I’ll confess it. Even though I know God loves me, and has my best interests in mind, sometimes, I’m afraid of what He will allow into my life.

Will I have to go through losing a child? Will I or my husband have to deal with cancer? Will my mind stay alert as I age or will I succumb to dementia?

I know that being a Christian isn’t some sort of free pass to an easy life. God allows all of us to go through hard times. Last autumn, we made a cross-country move from Iowa to Louisiana. It’s been hard to watch my kids go through the struggle to fit in, make new friends, and endure bullying. Plus, this new job means my husband is travelling more, so it’s been hard to handle being alone, and also to watch how sad it makes him to leave us.

God doesn’t give us a cushy life, but we’ll go through trouble with or without Him. If I indulge in my fear, then I’m forgetting that He promised to be there with me. Yes, God will let me wallow in my fear, but I don’t need to. The antidote to fear is trust.

Trust His love for you.

When He gives me something difficult, I try to see it as an act of trust on His part. He trusts that I will turn to Him, and we will make it through the problems together. It’s as if He’s saying, “Hang in there. I’m here. I believe you’ll make it beyond this and be more refined on the other side.”

Trust Him to be there, even when you can’t feel Him next to you. When times get tough, claim it out loud. Yell it to the ceiling, “God is with me!”

Trust Him because He believes in you.

Blessings,

Janice

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