Fear: Five Minute Friday

Another week, another chance to write on a one-word prompt for only five minutes. We set timers, type quickly, and let it flow without criticism. Then, we link-up our posts so we can read others' posts and they read ours and we have a community that grows from one word each week.
Five Minute Friday.

Go!

I have a Fear. A fear of failure. As a perfectionist type A firstborn daughter, I want to do everything right. The first time. No mistakes. No do-overs. (So, God is teaching me about Grace.)
And? My good-old fall-back sin is Pride. Pride and Fear battle each other for prominence. Proud of success, Fear of failure.

Enter parenthood. Oh yes! God has a big plan and did not give me children who would puff up my pride, but instead would humble me and send me crawling to Him on my hands and knees, weeping. Failure became my first thought, until I began to listen.

If we want to conquer fear, we must face fear and name it. What are you afraid of?
*My child will never be able to control their emotions and will throw tantrums in adulthood.*
Okay. Let's say that comes true. Now what?
*I was ridiculed and don't want their ridicule.*
The root issue? I have a fear that my children will be hurt as I was by peers.

The answer? The truth of God.

Psalm 34. So good. I won't quote the entire chapter, but I should. There's not a word that isn't worth reading, that won't speak life to you.
Paste function? I thank you for keeping me to the five minute limit.

Psalm 34:1-22
I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
² I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
³ Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
    he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
    their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
⁹ Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹² Whoever of you loves life
    and desires to see many good days,
¹³ keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
¹⁶ but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²² The Lord will rescue his servants;
    no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

(I did. I couldn't leave anything out.)

We may not understand how the Lord delivers us. We are afraid of dying, of separation, of "the end", but for those of us in Christ, it is actually "the beginning".

I want to make the most of every waking moment I have on Earth, but also to live in the freedom of purpose of following God's plan for my life instead of the plans others have put upon me.
My children will experience pain, sorrow, disappointment and heartache, and though I long to spare them, it is in those times where they will find God for themselves. It is my job to point to Him as best I can (and shepherd them so the falls are on grass instead of glass). It is their job to choose.

Timer lets me know that it's time to go.

Be encouraged!

“I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before Your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?”
~C.S. Lewis, "Til We Have Faces"