Topic: What Are You Afraid Of? – Daily Devotional by Proverbs 31 Ministries  29 January  2024

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What Are You Afraid Of?

JANUARY 29, 2024

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” 2 Corinthians 12:9a (ESV)

Can you remember what some of your earliest fears were as a child? Maybe you were afraid of heights or falling off a bike. Or maybe for you, like for me, it was a little deeper.

I lived in India with my grandparents from ages 2-5. When my parents moved me back to the United States, they immediately enrolled me in school. At the time, my native language was Telugu. I could understand English and speak a few words of it, but I wasn’t fluent. To my dismay, as early as the first day of school, kids laughed at me when I struggled to answer questions and carry on conversations in English.

Decades later, I can still remember the shame I felt when everyone laughed at me in that classroom — that’s how profound the impact was.

This change-who-you-are hurt left me with intense fears. I realized for the first time that the world was not a safe place. I hated the feeling of being embarrassed and belittled so much that, according to my mom, I became fluent in English and lost my accent within just four weeks.

Fear is something we can become utterly controlled by.

As I got older, I thought I had to get to a place in my life where nothing could hurt me. I wanted to figure out how to avoid every fear and eliminate every weakness so nothing could touch me.

While this mindset may be human instinct, it’s a hopeless pursuit God never meant for us. God never asks us to seek invincibility or achieve perfection — it isn’t even realistic. And if we stubbornly resist the inevitable, painful realities of life on this side of eternity, we’ll live in a constant state of frustration.

Not only does God know this, but He has a way out for us too.

He says to us what He said to the Apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).

This is vitally important. Experiencing peace isn’t about dismissing fear, denying weaknesses or avoiding pain. It’s about acknowledging our fears and allowing God to bring meaning to all the hard stuff we’ve endured. Doing this brings internal peace, which then flows out to our external lives.

So what are you afraid of? No matter what it is, here’s what I didn’t know as a 5-year-old in that classroom: We may not be able to avoid fear or stop hurt in our lives, but we are promised the nearness of God to help us face our fears and get through our hurt.

Bring your fears to the Lord today. Each dawn of a new day is a reminder of the help you have in Him.

Lord, today I confess my tendency to become afraid and not trust You. When I’m overcome with fear, remind me to come to You for help and to know with confidence that You have everything under control. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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