Many people who struggle with ongoing fear also struggle with shame.

“Why does this keep happening?”

“Why can’t I conquer this?”

“My life shouldn’t look like this! But I can’t seem to escape all this fear.”

Shame says, “I am ugly to God. He is frustrated with me. He doesn’t want me because I keep struggling.”

But that is not how God thinks. He remembers that we are small and frail. He isn’t surprised we need His help so often. That is how He made us—to need Him—and we honor Him when we express our need for Him.

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust. (Ps. 103:13–14 NIV)

It is okay to be needy with the Lord, to take all your fears to Him—again and again, as often as necessary—and dump them in His lap. Trust Him to help you with them. Every time you run to your Father, you will encounter His kindness:

We can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time. (Heb. 4:16 NOG)

This month at Becoming the One, we are talking about a culture of honor. Isaiah 8 talks about an amazing way to honor the Lord when we are struggling with fear:

Do not call conspiracy
    everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
    and do not dread it.
The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
    he is the one you are to fear,
    he is the one you are to dread. (Isa. 8:12–13 NIV)

When we choose to focus on the Lord instead of the fear we’re struggling with, we honor Him. That, beloved child of God, is a pure form of trust—and it is beautiful worship.

“But what if my trust in God isn’t perfect? I feel like I fail so often!”

Here is a wonderful key about trust: It doesn’t have to be perfect in order for it to be real.

We are like little children who are still toddling around and learning how to do things. God our Father absolutely delights in us, more than we can imagine (Isa. 62:3–5). He wants to savor every moment with us—that is what a parent is like. He wants to enjoy our “toddling years” to the fullest extent. There is absolutely no condemnation in His heart toward us. How could there be? He is our Father, and He loves us.

If you’re struggling with persistent fear, don’t be ashamed. Don’t reject yourself. “Why do I keep struggling with this?!” Don’t allow shame to speak to you. Instead, go to your Father and let Him hold you in His arms. His tender love takes away all fear (1 John 4:18). He is so very willing to help you, and you honor Him as you sit with Him and allow Him to help.

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Becoming the One

Honoring God with Your Trust