Nougat 12

Is there a difference between fear and worries? I confess, I’m not so sure. Before we are done with today’s Holy Nougat, we’ll find out.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:38‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So one psychologist, Gavin de Becker and associates, suggest that worry is manufactured fear. Perhaps because worry, at least in the context of the nougat, is fear for future situations or events. So we are forward-fearing about an unknown (possibly improbable) situation. Put that way, it sounds a bit ridiculous but when fear is in full steam, it is (our) reality.

But worry does not just happen without a context; even for a worry wart. It is likely to be a next (and involuntary) step after a harrowing situation. We might not have been consciously fearful (in my opinion) during the situation. But we might have felt alone or the outcome was traumatic enough to generate concerns for the future. And, in our ‘never again’ moments or when we try to prepare against a recurrence, fear blooms by creating ‘what if’ scenarios.

To some extent that’s wisdom. That’s our sense of self preservation kicking in. But, it also indicates that we are opting to solve our own problems. Which then suggests that we have turned away From, rather than To our Problem-Solver. Ouch (I know I’ve done that a few times).

Now the challenge with worrying about the future is – we don’t actually know what will happen! We opted to plan for worst case scenarios and then assigned it to reality.

Now that’s fine until we make it our reality and begin to take residence in Fear-ville. Especially when it begins to consume our waking and sleeping moments. Jesus warns against worries by saying take no thought about tomorrow for today has its fair share of problems. He follows up with the call to first seek God’s kingdom and focus on God’s path of Righteousness (see Matthew 6:25-34). But that’s much easier said than done for many of us. More so when we have the proof of past issues pressing our memory and insisting that we take preemptive action!

And how is this related to Christ’s love anyway? Well, I believe that since God is concerned about everything in our lives, then God is concerned about our worries for future (im/probable) experiences and events. Well, if worrying about the future means we have denied God’s God-ness in our lives, then Christ’s love awaits our restoration to ‘sonship’ as indicated by the ‘Lost’ Parables – of the lost sheep; the lost coin and the lost son in Luke 15! For worry is a form of lost-ness. And Christ’s love in all three parables and from the Resurrection says that we matter!

So

Lord, we confess that sometimes life gets overwhelming and we forget to cast our fears on You. And fear begets worry so we start thinking that You either don’t care or can’t solve our problems. We sometimes worry things into being and then get disappointed when we can’t solve it alone. But we come to You this moment, inviting You Jesus to fill us with the sense of Your Peace that overflows from Your Love. Remind us that Your love is stronger than our fears and please Jesus, help us love You once again. We offer our present and future fears to You once again, in Jesus name amen

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May all we seek be found in Christ