False Emotions Appearing Real

Hebrews 13:6 (NLT)
6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

The apostle summarizes the book of Hebrews with some advice. He has told the people of the church to love others, show hospitality, honor marriage, remain faithful, and to be satisfied with what they have. Then he goes on to remind them of God’s words, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So next we see the verse above that reminds us we should have confidence in the Lord; for God is our Helper and there is nothing to fear from others when we are with God.

I like the acronym for fear that says, “False Emotions Appearing Real.” So often our fears are based on our emotions and not facts. It may be we had one encounter in life with fear and it defined a part of us for the rest of our lives. Let’s say you share something very close and personal with another person and then you find out they spread that information as gossip. What will you fear the next time you have something you need to share? You know the answer; you will fear your intimate and personal information will be spread as gossip to other people. Even if you trust the person you are sharing with you may be hesitant to share a deep and intimate feeling. Fear of what will happen is what holds you back from connecting in your fellowship with another. But God tells us not to fear and that He can handle any situation that comes our way. Ok, so maybe someone will betray your trust, but God can handle that. Maybe you fear the emotions you want to express, but God can show you someone who will listen. Do not let fear be a hindrance to your life. Instead turn that fear over to God remembering that he will never fail you nor forsake you. In fact God just might show you how strong you are at handling fear if you allow Him to.