Friday, August 31, 2012

Witches and other fears

My daughter has been having more nightmares lately. This morning she crawled up on my lap and recounted her horror, "I had a dream that witches took me and I could never come back."

Now, just so you know, I don't let our kids watch anything that could be potentially disturbing, but things do seep into their awareness... witches, for one.

Knowing all too well the effects of a sensitive spirit and a life-time battle with nightmares, my heart aches for her.  But I know better than to salve it all with lies.  The truth is, the world is a scary place and nothing is certain.  Although I'm pretty sure she'll never be kidnapped, I can't promise it. Evil reaches every corner. But I do not want to dwell on what Satan is doing here on Earth.

Instead I want to combat fear with truth--namely, God's character.  When we look to Him, who He is and how BIG He truly is, our fears shrink into shadows.

" [...] the first step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances. When Jesus confronted the devil, He did not confront Satan with His emotions or in fear. [...] He simply refused to be influenced by any other voice than God's. His peace overwhelmed Satan, His authority then shattered the lie, which sent the demons fleeing" (Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds).

Jesus knew his share of trials: ridicule, misunderstanding, scorn, rejection, hatred, temptation, loss, and the ultimate in suffering.  And yet, he never wavered.  He kept going back to who the Father was, why He had sent him, and what His Word said.  Truth.
Like our Savior, we are no less exempt from pain.  Our perspective on it is what counts.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Our circumstances are not an accurate reflection of God's goodness. Whether life is good or bad, God's goodness, rooted in His character, is the same. 

Helen Grace Lescheid

No comments:

Post a Comment