What are you afraid of?

I've recently begun a book called What Women Fear by Angela Smith, and the author requested that we blog on our fears.  As I am somewhat new to the blog world, I thought this would be a good opportunity to put my fingers to tapping and join in on this linked up incourage community. I've got a lot I could say on this subject. 

What am I afraid of?  Snakes.  Bugs.  Dark nights.  Thunderstorms (although I am slowly getting over this one... nothing like sitting on my front porch and watching the God of the universe majestically light up the sky).  Driving in big cities.  But I'm thinking that these aren't the things that the author had in mind.  These superficial fears are things that many of us probably do fear, but I think there are so many more things on a deeper level. 

The fear of being alone.  That's a big one.  The fear of never being good enough. The fear of failing as a mother and failing as a wife.  The fear that one day, I'm going to do something and make God not love me anymore (even though this is impossible, because God is love and can never not love me... He just doesn't always like my behaviors).  All of these are irrational.  I think that is one of the characteristics of fear.  It is irrational.  It may begin as a small seed of something that is a reality, but we blow it up and talk about it in our minds and it becomes as big as one of those California redwoods.  What is so bad is that at times, I can talk myself out of my fears, but then one small thing happens and I am right back to being that cowering woman hiding under the covers of her bed, wishing she could just stay there all day. 

But I think there is hope for each one of us.  I think that God has a plan for us, and it does not include a spirit of fear. That doesn't mean we will never  be afraid... but it does mean that we won't be paralyzed because of it.  So fear not, sisters.  I think we've got a breakthrough coming.  And if we are going to be full of fear, let's direct it one place... Fearing (respecting) the Lord.

Psalm 112:1

Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.