BE NOT AFRAID

We live in a time of anxiety. Not just because it’s 2021 . Not just because we lived through 2020. But because we live.

We all know that there is much to fear but the secret is not to dwell on those things. Every single one of us is actually dying…..someday. That is always somewhere in the back of our minds but the trick is to keep this anxiety there….at the back of our minds.

There are many ways to find peace. We can do things to quiet our minds and hearts. We can have that cup of tea and read a good book. We can spend less time on the internet. We can find happiness in nature…..

Have you heard the expression “Perfect love casts out fear”? (This comes from 1 John 4:18. ) I think the best way to conquer our anxieties is to stay close to God. I heard this morning that the most looked up bible verse in 2020 was….

English Standard Version
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

When we love we get out of our own fears and become more aware of the joy that comes from giving. When we love we are closer to God …who IS love. And God gives us the “peace that surpasses all understanding”. By staying close to God we don’t have to take the world’s worries on our shoulders. We can ‘live and move and have our being’ without fear. And we can try and bring peace to others in our lives…by our example and by reaching out to them with love.

Let’s give thanks today for our aging bodies, for our minds, for our abilities to trust that all will be well. Because when all is said and done we have much to look forward to …in this world …and in the next.

Be not afraid !