{"id":1874,"date":"2013-01-17T08:38:41","date_gmt":"2013-01-17T15:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billintheblank\/?p=1874"},"modified":"2013-01-17T08:38:41","modified_gmt":"2013-01-17T15:38:41","slug":"remember-to-stop-being-afraid-with-humility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2013\/01\/remember-to-stop-being-afraid-with-humility\/","title":{"rendered":"Remember to Stop Being Afraid with Humility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Welcome to a series on <\/em>How to Stop Being Afraid <\/a>with wisdom from Psalm 46.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Our quest continues to step two in the journey to learn How to Stop Being Afraid<\/a>. We began\u00a0by exploring the call in Psalm 46:1 to remember who God is and what that means<\/a>. He is both our defense and our offense. We get grounded on Him in the face of life\u2019s chaos and overwhelming storms that the psalmist so vividly describes:<\/p>\n

Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The second step to stop being afraid is bit more challenging because it requires something of us that just doesn\u2019t come all that naturally. At least not to me. To overcome fear you must first remember who God is and then remember who you are<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Remembering who you are can be an uncomfortable experience for it means embracing two\u00a0oxymoronic truths:<\/p>\n

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  1. We\u00a0are\u00a0nothing special.<\/li>\n
  2. God has made\u00a0us special.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A Lesson in Humility<\/h3>\n

    Back in my college days \u2014 when I could pull an all-nighter and still function to some degree the next day \u2014 I stayed up all night writing a paper for\u00a0a British literature class. I don\u2019t recall the details of it. What I do recall is how<\/em> I did it.<\/p>\n

    First, I procrastinated on the project until the night before it was due \u2014 trying to draft the muse behind Shelley\u2019s\u00a0Grecian Urn<\/em> or Keats\u2019 Nightingale<\/em>, no doubt. Then I went shopping. I got a half-gallon of Bryers ice cream and two packs of coffee \u2013espresso blend. If I had to write it, I was going to be wide awake to enjoy it.<\/p>\n

    Two pots of coffee and half a dozen bowls of ice cream later, I finally put the finishing touches on the paper. It was somewhere around 5 AM, just enough time to doze off for a bit before heading to class. When I awoke, feeling quite proud of my efforts, I opened the document file on my computer to print \u2014 only to discover that it was gone! In a drowsy stupor, I had deleted the entire paper just before confidently retiring for a quick nap!<\/p>\n

    I learned a few things that night\/morning. First, how quickly I could rewrite a paper from memory. Second, when it asks if you want to save changes before closing, make sure the last thing you did prior to that request was not<\/strong> deleting everything. Third, I am much smaller than I like to think I am.<\/p>\n

    \n

    We\u2019re all just one step away from stupid. ~ John Maxwell<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    I need to be reminded, occasionally, of how small and stupid I can be, as I wrote here: Help! I Need Somebody!<\/a>\u00a0Becoming humble is essential to truly trusting in God. And\u00a0trusting God\u00a0is vital if we are to stop being afraid.<\/p>\n

    Just How Small Are You?<\/h3>\n

    No one likes to be reminded how small we really are in the face of life\u2019s problems. But when it happens, we can relate to the psalmist\u2019s poetic image of the earth being turned upside down. It\u2019s a humbling experience. Or at least it should be. And that\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s why it\u2019s good to get humble:<\/p>\n