I realised something about myself this week, after reading from the
book of Romans (8:15) in the Bible:
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.
I realised that the vast majority of fear in my life is related to me doing or saying the wrong thing. Whether my fear is an irrational, obsessive one, or just a thought that passes through my head, it's usually something to do with me getting something wrong.
"What if I say x and someone interprets it as y and then z happens" (with 'z' often being a highly catastrophic outcome).
It works for the past too: I can obsess over what I've already written or said, and sometimes over what disastrous consequence might happen as a result.
But God didn't design me to be a super human who never makes mistakes and who excels in every area. He knows I don't think quickly in a crisis. He knows I'm not a perfect listener. He knows I might recall the wrong information, or interpret a situation incorrectly. Yet he tells me that I am not a slave to fear; I am his Child and he is my Father.
Even when I confess to doing something that I knew was a bad idea, he meets me with grace and forgiveness.
God is big enough to deal with my messy situations, and even to turn them into something wonderful. It's God's job to do everything perfectly; it's my job to love him and love others the best I can.
I know that whether I get it right or get it wrong, God is still the perfect healer. And so I have peace.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.
I realised that the vast majority of fear in my life is related to me doing or saying the wrong thing. Whether my fear is an irrational, obsessive one, or just a thought that passes through my head, it's usually something to do with me getting something wrong.
"What if I say x and someone interprets it as y and then z happens" (with 'z' often being a highly catastrophic outcome).
It works for the past too: I can obsess over what I've already written or said, and sometimes over what disastrous consequence might happen as a result.
But God didn't design me to be a super human who never makes mistakes and who excels in every area. He knows I don't think quickly in a crisis. He knows I'm not a perfect listener. He knows I might recall the wrong information, or interpret a situation incorrectly. Yet he tells me that I am not a slave to fear; I am his Child and he is my Father.
Even when I confess to doing something that I knew was a bad idea, he meets me with grace and forgiveness.
God is big enough to deal with my messy situations, and even to turn them into something wonderful. It's God's job to do everything perfectly; it's my job to love him and love others the best I can.
I know that whether I get it right or get it wrong, God is still the perfect healer. And so I have peace.
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