Many years ago, our family visited the Grand Canyon. We didn’t know anyone who had been there before. I had no criteria for how the experience would unfold, other than the fact that I had seen pictures of the Grand Canyon.
The Northern Rim was literally on fire, so we set off for the Southern Rim…driving into the parking lot seemed no different than any other state park. I thought I would probably have to walk through the forest before I could see the Grand Canyon. This will give you time to prepare as you may have mental dizziness issues. We got out of the car, stayed in the parking lot, walked a bit, and suddenly it was there! Glorious Grand Canyon! I have to say it was tough to process. Your mind cannot comprehend the enormity of the canyon with its beauty.
I knew I was safe and nowhere near the edge of the canyon, but the sight convinced me that I needed to sit down to avoid falling headlong into the canyon.
Our reactions to vision are not necessarily the result of what we actually see, not what we perceive. For example, we may be seeing the worst-case scenario in our mind’s eye and convincing ourselves of the bad outcome of the situation. We got scared and any courage we might have mustered to move forward in that situation was shattered.
Has this happened to you? Have you noticed that fear affects your vision or your courage?
Let’s take a look at the Bible account of the Israelites when the Lord directed their confident leaders to go out into the land of Canaan and scout out its suitability. Instead, they allowed vision to influence courage…
“So they told him, “We have come to the land to which you have sent us, and indeed there is milk and honey flowing out, and this is its fruit.Nevertheless, the people who live in this land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we have seen there the descendants of Anak.” The Cuthites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and by the Jordan River. So Caleb calmed the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up and take possession of it, and we will surely overcome it.” But those who went up with him said: “We cannot stand against the people, because they are too strong for us.” So they gave a bad report to the children of Israel about the land that they had scouted, saying, “The land that we scouted was a land that devoured its inhabitants. All the people we saw there were of great size. There we also saw the Nephilim (of which the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like locusts among ourselves.”
So we came into their sight. ” Numbers 13:27-33
Instead of trusting in the Lord who had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, which they had certainly seen with their own eyes, they were turned away by the Nephilim, who caused fear in their hearts. As a result, they did not have the courage to advance into the territory where the giants were, making the report look worse than it actually was. Unlike the shepherd boy David, who did not let Goliath deter him from his mission to the Lord and declared that the Lord was with him, these spies created doubt and fear among the people instead of trusting in the Lord’s power.
Let’s look at three ways to prevent vision from inciting fear and influencing your courage.
Focus your eyes on Jesus.
“But when he saw strong winds and waves, he became afraid and began to sink. So he cried out, ‘Lord, help me.'” Jesus immediately reached out and caught him. He said, “Why did you doubt, you of little faith?” Matthew 14:30-31
I can’t believe I’ve ever ice skated at this age. Well, I don’t know if I can call it that. lol. Keep stepping forward with the same foot. It was tiring and not very pretty. However, there were times when I got carried away and spontaneously moved my legs from side to side. I was quite satisfied myself. lol. But then I started overthinking. Instead of enjoying my newly acquired skills and the fun of skating, I started thinking about what my feet were doing. The more I focused on it, the more I messed up and eventually collapsed. Do you know anything? After that, I never ice skated again. Stupid thing, I was very close and then abandoned it due to a fall. I was so focused on what I was doing that it robbed me of joy.
How blessed we are as believers to have Jesus always there to help us in every situation. We may not have our eyes on Jesus, but we can certainly turn our spiritual eyes on Him. It doesn’t matter what makes us anxious. Whether it’s a new diagnosis, financial hardship, or a new experience, we can keep our eyes focused on the Lord.
How do we do this? By staying in the Word. Meditate on the Bible. Claim God’s promises as your own. I’m praying.
If we incorporate all these disciplines into our daily life, our eyes will be constantly focused on Jesus, where all fears will disappear and our courage will be refreshed.
Remember that it is the Lord who directs your steps.
“A man’s steps are established by the Lord, when he is pleased in his path.
If he falls, he will not be thrown headlong, for the Lord will uphold him. ” Psalm 37:23
This verse can be difficult for people to accept or understand, especially if the steps lead to difficult situations such as financial ruin, relationship dissolution, or illness. But how can we think that as children of God we can avoid suffering when Jesus Himself, “a man of sorrows and who knew sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3), suffered and died on the cross for our sins and redemption?
We must not lose our minds. We may be in the valley of the shadow of death, but we need not fear, for God will comfort us. As the verse above says, God sustains us and does not allow us to fall into a pit. But when we focus only on what we fear, we fall into despair, the proverbial pitfall.
When you were a child, or even an adult, you may have lied in bed in the dark at night, looking into your open closet, and convinced yourself that you saw a terrifying figure standing there. At first I buried my head in the covers, but then reason took over and I stood up to turn on the light, only to see my robe hanging on the hanger. Your mind has created this terrifying image out of a piece of clothing. We can do it according to our own circumstances. Sure, we may find ourselves in difficult situations. Still, if we rely on our own perceptions, our mind’s eye may be exaggerating the seriousness of something more than it really is.
Instead, focus on the Lord, your Sovereign Lord, who has directed your steps. Who knew about the valley you were going to before it happened? But God never meant to send you there alone. When you focus your eyes on Jesus and remember him.
His Lordship, your courage will increase. He is the Good Shepherd who will guide you and keep you safe, even when everything seems to be going wrong.
Don’t rely on your own understanding.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
If you’re like me, you can worry about it as if it were your job. In fact, when we are faced with a problem, especially when we are waiting for a fix, we decide that worrying, that is, coming up with all the possible scenarios, will somehow facilitate the fix. How foolish…
Sometimes things happen in life that you just don’t understand…it defies all understanding. Someone I know has been unemployed for almost a year and has run out of financial means. But every time it seems that this person will actually take time off to pursue a job and make money, the other shoe drops. If this continues, the entire shoe store will go bankrupt, and I am far from being able to return to work. Yes, the Lord is providing, but there is still so much stress because the focus is on the problems rather than the blessings that are coming. I don’t mean to take this lightly. Not having money is very stressful, but when we trust in the Lord and don’t have money,
Even though looking at our bank account may stir up fear or affect our courage to move forward, God will certainly make our paths straight and provide for us in amazing ways.
Sometimes the most difficult lessons are learned when we become attached to what we see instead of focusing on the spiritual realm that is working for us. This may not sound trite, but the Lord desires good for us. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6. It may not be what we envisioned, but it’s just another way our vision fuels fear. You may be a young woman who thought she could get married by now, but is now worried that she won’t. Or maybe you envisioned your life as a mother with children, but it hasn’t happened yet for your family. Whatever it is, our vision can deceive us in so many ways.
Instead, “zoom out” and look at your situation from the perspective of the spiritual realm, trusting in God and His perfect ways. Once you do this, you will find courage and joy will replace fear, no matter the circumstances.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us a perfect 20/20 vision of eternity as we look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Remind me to keep my eyes on you in all situations.
1. Is there something that fuels your fear?
2. What can you do this week to shift your focus to Jesus?
Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Igor Alecsander
Karen Dell Tattoo is a blogger, author, women’s ministry leader, pastor’s wife, mother, and grandmother who is passionate about God’s Word. Her blog, “Growing Together in Grace and Knowledge,” and her books, “Choosing to Trust God: Breaking the Habit of Worry,” “A 30-Day Devotional,” and “Choosing to Trust God Companion Journal,” reveal her heart offering biblical insights to inspire women to grow in, through, and overcome hardship. Karen and her husband live in Rhode Island and enjoy walking in the woods, petting owls, and spending time with their grandchildren.
