Our Journey

23 Jun

“The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love.”  ~ Marianne Williamson

“What do you mean, ‘unlearning of fear’?  I don’t get it.”  Well, the truth is rather simple.  Most people are motivated by many things not really clear to them and fear is one of the them.  When we talk about fear, we often think about the classic things like fear of heights, the dark, or death.  Those are bigger fears and we can often see them operative in others as well as in ourselves.  But there are other fears as well, fears that are more subtle and which steer our direction in life.

Some people fear not being accepted.  Others might fear change.  Their fears may make them more timid or increase their anxiety.  That, in turn, will make them less productive.  Being less productive, they could then fear negative evaluations or the loss of a promotion or even a job which makes them more anxious and fearful.  They need to be able to tackle the inner fears that often direct their decisions and their lives.

There are fears that affect our spiritual journey as well.  Some people are not so willing to admit it, but, they are afraid of God.  They are afraid that God will be disappointed with them or angry with them.  They are afraid that God might even reject them.  Because of that, they often live their spiritual lives with a great deal of anxiety.  They are loathe to learn new things or do anything new lest they falter and fall further in God’s estimation.

Their fear is totally irrational since God loves us unconditionally but it is still there nonetheless and steers them in directions that keep them shallow in the faith.  If only they knew just how much God loves them, how much He has done for them, and how much He longs to have them come home to Him at the end of their days.

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to quell any fear that you may have within so that you are more able to accept His love.