About a month ago I was scrolling through Facebook and a friend posted an interesting question on her page. The question was, “If you could time travel, would you rather go 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future?” Before clicking to read the responses I immediately thought to myself how going to the future would be fun since we already know what has already happened in the past.
There were over 30 comments so out of curiosity I clicked and started reading… not one person wanted to go to the future. Every single person commented how they wanted to go to the past and why. They all had the same reason – fear of the future. Some said they wouldn’t want to find out how they and their children died. Some stated they worried the world would be so full of crime they’d fear for their safety. Some mentioned how the unknown scared them so they would rather go back in time because the known would bring them comfort.
Every single person feared the future and this shocked me.
I couldn’t believe how many people struggled with fearing not only the future but their future. They worried about what illnesses they would have, how horrible of a death awaited them, and what failures laid ahead.
Can you relate? Do you fear the future so much that it brings you anxiety? Do you struggle with the unknown and worry that your future may not be what you hope it will?
Friend, there is no need to fear. Hear me when I say this; there is no need to fear.
Your future is secure in Christ. He is faithful and will fulfill every promise for your life. He gave you specific desires in your heart so you can spend your years here on earth sharing with others about Jesus by living out your calling. You serve a God who heals every time you ask, who promises you don’t need to worry about what you’re going to wear, eat, or live. Your God is limitless. So please stop limiting God’s capabilities with your fear and learn to trust Him.
Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Recently, James and I took a giant step of faith. We felt God ask us to trust Him and obey Him, so we did. We took the step of James leaving his really great career to pursue the passions of his heart. Everyone of this world may think we’re silly. But in Christ’s eyes, we’re just being obedient.
There is no backup plan or “just in case this doesn’t work out” plan. There is one plan: God said “Go,” so we went. He will take care of the rest.
To say that I haven’t sat and felt stressed or concerned or worried about how to afford Christmas or other expenses would be a lie. I’m human and have had days where I let my mind wonder maybe a little too much, but despite that, my spirit is full of peace.
This isn’t the first time we’ve taken steps of faith like this. The nine years of our marriage have been full of them and every single time Christ has shown His faithfulness and affirmed our future is secure in Him.
Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Christ tells you that His plans for you are good. His plans are for you to prosper and not to have harm. He wants you to have hope and a future. So why do you still worry if you know this? Well, you’re human, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Each season you enter into, remember His faithfulness in your last season.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
While it’s easy to encourage you to not fear and to walk in confidence, I know it can be hard to live that out. It’s hard to let go of control, especially if you’re a fixer. It’s hard to stop your mind from going down a trail of worry. It’s hard to not fear in dark situations.
But, can I encourage you by sharing that it’s still possible. It’s possible to put down the fixer hands and give it to Jesus, it’s possible to control your thoughts, and it’s possible to see the light in the darkest moments. It just takes a little bit of work.
When you’re facing a situation where you are trying everything you can to fix it, hit the pause button and tell God you are giving it to Him and walk away.
When your mind starts heading towards fearful thoughts, recognize it and play worship music right away.
When you’re facing those heavy and hard seasons, proclaim God’s word over your life. Say out loud, over and over, that God does not give you a spirit of fear. But that He gives you power, love, and a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
So, if you had to answer the question mentioned earlier, which would you choose and why? Would you want to go back in time because history fascinates you or because you think it’s safe? Does the idea of going to the future scare you? The answer to such a simple question can reveal so much of your own heart to you.
Be excited about your future. Wait patiently for the Lord to give you the desires of your heart. Spend your days with anticipation for the abundant life Christ has promised you.
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Heather Margiotta is a Christian Wife and Mother who has a love for relationships, adoption, spiritual growth, and helping others through grief. Heather’s life motto is “To love the life you live, by seeing the good between the chaos.” You can find her blog here and her Facebook here.