I’m Afraid of Math

It’s true.  I break out into a sweat when I think about having to do math on the spot.

When we have garage sales, I always make my mom or my husband handle the financial transactions because I simply get freaked out by it.  Understand I can do math great… with a calculator and a lot of time.  It’s just not something that comes easy for me and so it scares me.

Luckily, I’m not completely driven by fear.  I mean, that is not one of my big issues.  Trust me, there are many issues within, but fear isn’t one that usually takes control.  But for many, fear is an overbearing reality and a daily struggle.  It’s a big deal.

Is it for you?

God must have known this was going to be a zinger, because He talks about fear, in one form or another, 366 times in His Word.  That’s one for every day of the year… including leap year!

I’m so thankful He doesn’t leave us hanging, though.  He provides good council!  Listen to this… it’s one of my favorite verses when I get scared.  “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).  The dictionary defines timidity as “showing fear or lack of self-confidence; hesitant.”  Sound familiar?

The Bible flat-out tells us that God DID NOT give that to us!  He gave us the opposite of fear… power, love and self-discipline.

I wonder, then, who is responsible for our fear?

It’s easy to blame it all on Satan… but we need to take responsibility for it.  Sure, he can whisper in your ear that:

• the test results will show cancer – again
• your spouse may not come home after the doozy of fight you two had this morning
• the leap of faith you took into a new career will fail
• your children will be failures in life and it will be your fault
• those words you shared in confidence will be liberally shared with others
• or that God doesn’t really care about what happens to you

… but we take it to a whole new level.  We allow it to become a part of our DNA and we make decisions looking through that “fear filter.”

Some fears are irrational, like my fear of IV needles, sharks and math (come on… you’ve got some odd ones, too!).  I get that.  These brief annoyances can usually be tamed.

But others fears are spirit-breaking and spine-weakening.  I can find myself fearful of the state of our country, my marriage, my kids, our financial situation, and more.  But you know what God says to do?

FEAR NOT!  So when we become fearful, we are directly disobeying Him.

This week, take some time and reflect on what makes you fearful.  Sometimes we’re not even sure what the real issues are.  Maybe ask God to show you?  Then write it down.  Confess it to God.  Share it with a trusted someone so it doesn’t stay in the dark anymore.  By doing this, you’ll be taking some of the power away from the fear…

It’s about time we stand strong against it.  Within God’s Word, we have all the tools we need.

I wonder. Will you be a coward… or live like you’re empowered?