No Elevator to EverestMuestra

Even Now

The great thing for the Christian in this journey of self-awareness is that this work is Spirit-led. We never go alone. We have the indwelling presence of the Most High God. So, on those days when the fear feels so big that it’s hard to get out of bed, let alone get to know our fear, we can cling to the promise of Jesus. He did not leave us or forsake us. He sent the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and our Helper (see John 14:26).

Fear is not something to ignore, push away, or suppress. Fear in fact can be one of our greatest guides. Fear can show us things that require our conscious attention. Our attention is like a spotlight—when we focus our attention, we can bring illumination to something. When I give my fear gentle attention, I have an opportunity to learn about myself.

I could notice my fear and come to it with anger: “Ugh, here we go again. I hate this!” But then what I’m really doing is shaming myself. If I come to it with a sense of speed—“Let’s get this over with as quickly as possible”—I am dismissing the fear as not that important. But if I approach my fear with a gentleness and a curiosity, I unlock the chance to learn from it.

We can liken this to the beautiful truth about Jesus: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench” (Isaiah 42:3). It takes a gentle hand not to break a bruised reed. It takes slow, steady movements not to extinguish that smoldering wick. To move too fast would be to see the flame go out.

My brother or sister, if you are so paralyzed by fear right now that it seems impossible to ever take one more step, I pray for you to know that you do not take that step alone. I pray you feel the power and the peace of the presence of the Most High within you even now. I pray that you feel His embrace and hear His voice whispering divine love over your life. Even now. Even still. He has you.

Lord, in my fear, You are near. Help me to meet my fear not with shame but with gentleness, as You are gentle with me. Teach me to rest in Your comfort. Amen.