"What is the opposite of fear?"
Willow Springs Community near Morrison, Colorado
WHERE: The wide-open roads around the Willow Springs Community, Morrison Colorado.
The views are stunning of downtown Denver and Red Rocks. You can park across the street from the Red Rocks Country Club at the park.
WHEN: Anytime, but I prayed over the spot at 2:17 pm
BLESSED SPOT: Go find the huge rock outcropping and walk or park by the mailboxes. There is a rock just behind the mailboxes.
Just beyond the mailboxes is the rock to sit on. When you find the huge red rock outcropping, it is just to the right.
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” —Deuteronomy 31:6
“What is the opposite of fear?”
For the last couple of weeks, I have felt pretty positive, ready to face the day, ready to make the most of what we are all going through. But, today it just felt heavy. There was a strong feeling of hopelessness in the house, a pending panic that was rising in our chests masquerading as C19. I know everyone has experienced psychosomatic episodes. We worry when a little headache starts or a cough emerges, or our chest feels tight. How many times a day are you taking your temperature?
At the root of all my feelings, I believe what I am experiencing the most is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of losing my health or the health of a loved one, fear of losing my money, fear of losing my business, fear of giving in to depression or anxiety, and fear that the things I love are lost forever.
Fear is not a bad thing when we are faced with a charging bear, a shark circling us, or someone looking to do us harm. I am talking about the fear that keeps us from moving forward in our lives. I am in need of the opposite of fear in my life right now. And as I thought about that, I was curious as to what people thought the opposite of fear was. I read philosophical and spiritual commentaries on the idea and people shared what they believed the opposite was.
Which is the opposite of fear….?
Resolve
Acceptance
Curiosity
Peace
Safety
Love
Trust
Courage
Gratitude
Patience
Or Maybe a dose of…
Tenacity
Humor
Vision
Wisdom
Inspiration
You fill in the blank…
The magic could be in the combination.
I was struck after reading the commentaries that we need our own list. We need a specific set of requests when fear sets in.
When I am feeling fearful about my parents getting sick with C19, I need to ask God to provide me PEACE, remind me that He has this in his hands, that He cares for them and loves them way more than I do.
“Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.” Luke 1:78-79When I am fearful that life won’t be what it once was, I need to ask God to remind me to be GRATEFUL. I have so much in the here-and-now that I can be truly thankful for, the food on my table, the laughter over a video call, my dog who looks at me with her tongue hanging out and a smile on her face.
“Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander.” Hebrews 12:28When I am fearful that I will lose my business, I need to ask God for ACCEPTANCE. That it could be a reality, it could happen, my business could fail this year. I need to accept this reality, but also trust that God has my future path already planned.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3When I am feeling fearful about working with someone I really don’t like or trust, I need to ask for CURIOSITY. I need to hear their story, I need to understand their “why” in life.
“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.” —John Steinbeck
When I am fearful about taking a big risk, starting that business, or pursuing that dream, I need to ask God for COURAGE and TENACITY. A shot of bravery to take the next step and the determination to not give up. And most importantly to bring the big guns with us—God!
"Then who has any chance at all?" they asked. Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it." Mark 10:26-27When I am so tired of the news, and frustrated at the fear that it riles up in me, I need to ask God for HUMOR—big old belly laugh. Maybe one so good that shoots milk out of my nose. One that leaves me in tears—the good kind.
“Laughter is an instant vacation.” —Milton Berle
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6-7
God has often put the idea of a “petition” in my mind and on my heart. One definition states it as “a petition is a formal written request asking for action from an authority.” I love the idea of requesting “action.” Asking God to take action over your fear, to replace those feelings with something that allows you to move forward. Make your list, outline what you are requesting and why you are requesting them. That formal list could include curiosity instead of fear, gratitude instead of fear, peace instead of fear, humor instead of fear…
And the ultimate anti-fear trump card is LOVE.
God loves us unconditionally, with His infinite wisdom, His deep understanding of who we are, and with our best interests at heart. And we have the ultimate power in our hands—we can choose to love others and help bring them peace, safety, courage, gratitude, acceptance, resolve, humor, and curiosity. We can pick love over bitterness, love over being divisive, love over disagreements, love over snarky responses, and love over competition.
“And that’s about it, friends. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure. Greet one another with a holy embrace (with 6 feet of love between you).” 2 Corinthians 13:11
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”1 John 4: 16-18
At 2:17 pm today (we are praying every day at this time) we stopped our walk, and found this great little rock to sit on—hopefully you are here now. The walk through the quiet, wide-open streets, with its views of downtown Denver, Red Rocks, the valleys and the pine tree-dotted hills is totally refreshing. Look around at the cool rock formations—they are almost comical in the way they stack on one another or rise out of nowhere. There is a “Whale Rock” in the neighborhood that looks like someone plopped a cartoon character down in stone. The very act of walking, breathing deeply, and moving your body helps process through some of the complex thoughts we are experiencing. It helps to unleash the fear we are storing in our bellies and our chests. I am praying for your fear to be named and turned into resolve, acceptance, curiosity, peace, safety, trust, courage, humor, tenacity, gratitude… But most importantly love. Like Phil 4:6-7 says don’t be anxious but have prayers and petitions. What exact fear are you facing as you sit on this rock? What opposite can you ask God to provide in this moment?
This spot has been prayed for:
I have prayed that you would feel your fear melt away
I have prayed that the tightness in your body loosens
I have prayed that your fear would be transformed
I have prayed that you feel hopeful today
Things you can do:
Write a comment, prayer, or request below
Make your list of your fear replacements and keep them by you, at your desk, on your fridge, in your wallet…
Remember God is bigger than C-19 and this too will pass!
My Favorite Meme of the Day
