It's often said that the Bible tells us, "Do not fear," or "Fear not," 365 times--one for every day of the year. While the actual count may very slightly depending on the translation, the concept is solidly accurate: God's Word is filled with reminders that we do not need to live in fear, regardless of life's uncertainties. Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly speaks to His people, encouraging them to let go of their fear and trust in Him. These messages often come in times of transition, trial, or uncertainty--moments when fear would seem natural. In Joshua 1:9, God says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Here, God speaks directly into Joshua's anxieties as he takes over leadership after Moses, reminding him that God's presence is a constant and unfailing support. The beauty of God's commands to "fear not" lies not only in their frequency but in their context. God's call to "not fear" is often accompanied by a promise of His presence, His protection, and His provision. He calms us with the promise that He will be with us, so we do not have to be afraid. This isn't a call to deny our fears but a reminder that we're not alone in them. God is present, willing to uphold and strengthen us through the trials. Living without fear is a process of surrender and trust. We grow in it day by day. Each time we read the words "fear not," it's as if God is tenderly reminding us of His faithfulness and unfailing love. So today, whatever fears you may face, remember that God speaks courage and hope into our lives--not once, but over and over. The same God who walked with Joshua invites us to trust Him. Get quiet long enough to listen to the whisper: "Do not fear, for I am with you."

Silence has a deep place in the hearts of many men. Psalm 46:10 reads: "Be still, and know that I am God." While this verse speaks to our need to quiet our soul to listen, the craziness and challenges of life oftentimes gets in the way. Silence, or a place of escape, becomes a place of refuge to gain strength and/or clarity. It becomes a place to process life's demands, challenges and deep emotions. But this silence, if misunderstood by those around him, can be isolating and may even cause pain to those who long to understand what's happening in his heart. I wrote a book years ago called DECODING THE SILENT MAN'S LANGUAGE (it's available on Amazon). I wrote the book because my wife would always worry about my silence. She constantly asked me, "What are you thinking about?" There were times that I was able to formulate the words to explain what was on my heart, and there were times when I didn't really know what was going on. All I knew was that my silence was a means of escaping internally to a different world. This world became the only place for me to just "be" without "doing" anything. Although all of life's demands where present with me in that world, I could compartmentalize exactly what I wanted to focus on while I was there. My wife took it as rejection; for me, it was a method of escaping. The stresses of life can be difficult to understand and stand under. The weightiness of life's hardships becomes a bit much to even consider at times. I'd go as far as trying to withhold my thoughts and problems from my wife because I didn't want to burden her with my issues. When I did answer her call to just let her know what was in my head, I QUICKLY realized why the Scripture tells us that women are the weaker vessels. This means that our capacity as men allows us to carry more. Our shoulders are broader. Our hearts are bigger. Our muscles grow larger. We have a higher capacity. Still, the weight becomes too much to carry, which is why more men end their lives without murmuring a word to anyone. One day he's throwing the ball with his children, and he's gone the next. How could this be? Well, he lived in another world within. That was his place to escape.

I spoke these words to myself today: "Stop lying to yourself!" Then, I took some time to meditate on Romans 12:3. One could believe that Romans 12 is a great book on transformation. Verse 3 encourages us to stop and evaluate the gifts we've received. It also encourages us to not think too highly of ourselves but to be sober-minded. This is where the verse really hits me. I've gone so many years evaluating myself incorrectly. Like so many, I lie to myself and consider that I'm higher than I truly am. I'll lie to myself about simple things like the tasks I tell myself I would complete, the goals I've told myself I'd reach or the gifts I said I'd use. I'd flat out just lie. It's not as if I don't know the ability God has given me. Like others, I'm aware of my gifts and my ability yet I refuse to do as I ought. I've had to learn how to be honest with self. It's as simple as telling myself that I'm going to do something that I know good and doggone well I'm not going to do. It's fun to tell self that you'll take 20 minutes a day to read and study on your craft, but you'll know deep down that you're lying to yourself. You're not going to do it. Heck, you won't even attempt to do it. I have to stop the lying to self because...sadly, I'll convince self that I'm untrustworthy. That's insane, right? I'm convincing myself that I should not trust myself. I can no longer like that way. I have to let my "yes" be "yes" and my "no" be "no". If I'm going to lock in to a goal then I must be prepared to complete it, which is why I am compelled by Christ to count the cost first. Here's what I've had to do today--write down the ways I'm lying to self and address them truthfully! This has been difficult but necessary. How about you?

Pleasing people and agreeing to their demands/expectations for acceptance is a form of idolatry. While pastoring many years ago, I had a mother speak with me about her son being peer-pressured. I listened to her. After she finished, she asked me for my thoughts. I responded, “Ma’am, teach your son about idolatry because peer-pressure is idolatry." Anytime you agree to the demands of someone else for acceptance, love, admiration or popularity you’re practicing idolatry. You’re denying the calls of God to accept the call of man. In fact, you’re refusing to love yourself enough to stand on your own convictions due to the idolization you’ve created for those around you. I’ve learned that I am in a problematic relationship when I have a difficult time saying “NO!” In fact, the relationship is downright toxic when I realize that my “NO” could alienate the other person/people or lead to the relationship falling apart altogether. If the other person is only interested in my “YES” then there’s a problem. Their acceptance of me is contingent on my obedience to them. This is dangerous because it means I run the risk of disrespecting and disobeying God to please my family, friends, coworkers, employees or the like. The freedom I have from the ability to tell people “NO” is refreshing. In the past, I’d be so hard pressed to always say “YES” because I wanted to preserve the relationship. I no longer live that way. I love myself enough to honor self and God above others. There’s no amount of acceptance in this world that could make me let go of the freedom I’ve found. And I’ve come to conclude that I’m okay and dope all by myself if everyone decided to walk away from me after I chose to love self and God. Selah.

Anxiety was my alarm clock this morning. Before the morning dew dried from the blades of grass, my heart was already twisted in knots at the various issues and distractions that were before me. It’s no wonder my mind initially went to Matthew 6:25-34. While the verses can bring a sense of calm, I was still haunted by the reality that the issues weren’t going away by osmosis, and, if I’m honest, some of the issues were a product of my own doing either willingly or ignorantly. Still, I persist in reading the verses to gain a sense of hope where despair would rest otherwise. The theme of the verses is simple—do not worry. Although the reading of those words is simple, the application is difficult. Why would I not choose to worry? By not worrying it seems that I do not care about the problems that lay before me. It’s almost insensitive for me to be told that I shouldn’t worry seeing that my problems lay before me in plain sight. If I don’t worry about them then who will? Are you saying that I should relinquish full control and trust that God will truly see my way through? That, too, is easier said than done, but isn’t that the objective of faith? Isn’t it the very evidence of what we cannot see? Isn’t it the hope that we know based on the trust we have inherited from our Heavenly Father? If so then why is my faith so small? I’ve seen God do so many miraculous things in my life yet I’m paralyzed when anything new arises. It’s as if I’ve seen and known nothing. I can look back over my life to gain evidence of what my God has done. Still, my heart ravages with fear and wrestles with anxiety. Here’s where I choose to land when it comes to this central theme: if I keep my eyes on God whenever I’m tempted to worry then I’ll be okay. This means that the greatest form of work is to remain in faith, and that’s hard work! Cheers to working hard today to stay in faith and out of anxiety. My problems are not larger than my God, and He gives me the wisdom to resolve them. I must do the work, which is to remain in faith. Anxiety adds nothing to my life; therefore, I’ll remain in peace. Though the storms may come and the thunder roars overhead, I’ll be thankful for the rain because I need it to water the seeds I’ve planted so they may bloom in the coming season. Selah!