Monsters Under The Bed

As a child, how many of you thought there was a bone-chilling monster under your bed? That one hideous creature, who, with tentacle fingers was just waiting for you to hang your leg over the side so he could grab and pull you into the abyss? If it wasn't THAT monster, then it was the clown in the closet, right? In reality, as adults now, we know there wasn't anything under our bed or in our closet that was going to get us. At the time, FEAR ITSELF was the monster! It was fear that crippled us. It was fear that kept us trapped under the bedsheets and as a result, made us afraid to move. It was fear that skewed reality and made actual truth non-existent in our own minds. Fear is an emotional response to situations we don't think we can control that will do us harm.
Here are examples of fear we experience:
1. "I'm afraid to stand up and give a speech" (Emotional response: I'm scared. People might laugh).
2. "I'm afraid to commit to marriage" (Emotional response: I'm scared. We might become a divorce statistic someday).
3. "I fear Christianity is just not for me" (Emotional response I fear I'm not good enough. My sins are too bad).

Fear is a crippling force and so is anxiety. Anxiety is the emotional response we have when we try to control the uncontrollable. Here are examples of anxiety:
1. "I'm a nervous wreck because I don't think he loves me anymore."
2. "I'm so worried it's going to rain on our wedding day." "
3. "I can't sleep when my daughter is out with that boy!"

Anxiety is the gap between what we expect things to be like and the way things are. Read that again and let that sink in. The wider the gap, the greater the anxiety; and the greater the anxiety, the harder and more desperately we will search for a "savior" from it. If we are truthful with ourselves, we sometimes disbelieve that God can work things out so we step out of faith and try to solve our problems and worries with other things or idols. Unfortunately, things and idols don't really solve the problem, they just temporarily numb the fear. And that's as good as it gets! When believers don't take God at His word or His promises there is no true cure for anxiety - there are only distractions, delusions, or drugs of choice utilized like a bag of tricks that helps us sleep at night.


Jesus didn't have to say this, but He did: "Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34 ESV). The bottom line is, if we dissect the monster of FEAR and ANXIETY, it's practically atheism. Why would I say that? Because our unwillingness to believe that God 'can' and God 'cares' causes us to behave as if God doesn't exist at all! Or, if He does, we need to convince or bribe Him to pay attention and help us because otherwise He would be unwilling or we would go unnoticed. Who hasn't tried to bribe God at some time in their life? I certainly have in my past. ('God if you do this for me I'll never miss another Sunday service' -- 'God if you get me through this I'll never drink again' -- 'God, if you'll just let me have this one thing I'll tell all my friends you're real'). This may be the way of the Gentiles, hypocrites, maybe even people that need to control things, but it should never be characteristic of those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not merely suggest we not be anxious. No, He gave a command! BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING. His command is clear. DO NOT BE ANXIOUS is not a suggestion. However, the words, "You might want to reconsider" or "You should probably think twice about that" ARE suggestions. When we believe that God can and God cares - even when in the midst of injustice, pain, loss, doubt, or any other kind of scary monster that paralyzes us, we don't have to be overwhelmed with fear or anxiety. We can actually experience His peace. You might be thinking how could a child who truly believes there are monsters under his bed have any kind of peace? I'll answer that with this example: Have you noticed how a child is calmed when dad walks into the room and assures the chid there is no monster under the bed because dad already drove them out of the room before the child's bedtime ever came around? God said in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." This Word is true in the storm or out of the storm! That's God's promise of peace to you. "My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you" (John 14:27) And He said, "Greater is He that is in Me than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4) That's a Father, who by His Word, has the power to destroy the monsters in your life. And we have His Word, THE BIBLE! His Words are our weapon against fear, doubt, or anxiety.


God's Word is able to guard our hearts against future fear, anxiety, doubt, indecision, nervousness, uncertainty, alarm, panic distress, etc. When we BELIEVE that God can and that He cares, we are reminded of the reality of the peace He promised which already belongs to us because we belong to Him! His promises are able to calm our hearts and allow us to make stable, faith-based decisions instead of fear-based ones. I have experienced this peace and can describe it for you like this. A child can be afraid of the dark, but as soon as daddy enters the room and sits with him, promising he won't let anything happen to that child because daddy is stronger than the monster, something happens. The child falls back to sleep with dad right there. Believing God 'CAN' produces that same feeling of protection and assurance! Your fears and doubts just melt away. God's assurance is also similar to a wife struggling with something that has brought her to her wit's end. Her husband steps in and assures her everything will be okay because he'll fix it, he'll take care of it. SHE BELIEVES HIM BECAUSE SHE TRUSTS HE'S TOLD HER THE TRUTH. She then begins to relax because her husband has reassured her he's got it. It's the same when you truly trust God. It's the peace of God's promises and assurance. It's the calm of knowing since God has done the greater thing of giving us His Son Jesus, that He will also take care of the lesser things because we belong to Him. How wonderful! When we believe that God can and that God cares it gives us the perspective we need on life to be able to live peacefully in His provision - whatever it may be. "You will keep in perfect peace the mind who is stayed on Thee" (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).


Believing God's Word has given you the power over every monster in your life, and it's the peace that sets you free to walk into any circumstance and know you are loved and protected! That's why we can rejoice in Him always - not because our lives are perfect, but because He cares for us because we belong to Him. We can ask Him for anything we need and trust that He knows what is best for us and will give it to us at just the right time no matter what that is including confidence in the midst of travail. We don't have to get His attention, we don't have to bribe Him, we don't have to convince Him that we are worthy of Him answering our prayers. We can simply walk through life in His perfect peace because we believe that He is Who He claims to be and will do as He promised. We are children of The King (Galatians 3:26, Romans 8: 17-19). We are blessed with adoption, inheritance, salvation, enlightenment, fellowship, renewal, knowledge, citizenship, reconciliation, sanctification, holiness, faith, righteousness, anointing, peace, forgiveness, a sound mind, every good work, power over darkness, etc. The only enemy is fear and we have to make the conscious choice every single day not to buy into its schemes and plans. Finally, every emotion is powerful. Some say fear stands out from all the rest because it is the only one that holds us back. As a believer, I believe fear is no more powerful than any other emotion. Why? It is the power YOU GIVE IT that makes it strong. Think about that! (Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 41:13, Exodus 14:13, Deuteronomy 31:6, 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalm 27:1, Hebrews 13:6, John 14:27). As a Christian, You have always had the power within you to overcome fear!

Until next time,
-Pat-