Dear Friends,

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your fears? I know I do. Sometimes I feel fear of rejection,  or fear of saying the wrong thing, making bad decisions, of what people might think, or fear of what the future will (or won’t) be like, to name just a few.

When a fear “rears its ugly head” it’s natural and normal to react in ways that express that fear. We may do or say things to try to counteract it, perhaps by keeping our mouth shut, or not putting ourselves in a position to be rejected by others, or letting our fears about the future economy creep into our counsel with clients.

The good news is that as Christians, we know that fear and faith cannot co-exist; if we truly have faith in God as our provider and protector we have no reason to fear, right? A man of faith, Nehemiah used his fear of punishment for showing sadness in the presence of the King as an opportunity to ask God for what he needed, saying: “Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"  The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." (Nehemiah 2:3-5). 

The key learning from this passage is that rather than crumble under his fear, Nehemiah responded to his fear in faith, asking “God of heaven” for what he wanted, and trusting that God would grant his request to send him on his mission to fulfill his role in God’s plan to rebuild Jerusalem. As Christian financial professionals, we can follow the same principle when responding to a fear and then rejoice in the knowledge that if we ask God for His guidance, we will experience the outcome that fits with God’s plan. For instance, when we fear the future of the economy, we can trust that God is in control of His resources and ask Him for the wisdom to counsel our clients, perhaps even asking Him to lead us to passages that will provide an answer to a client’s concern. Then we can remind our clients to trust in Biblical teachings on financial matters, have faith that God will continue to protect and provide, and encourage them to be good stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them.

Like me, you have probably felt a seemingly overwhelming fear at some time. What was your fear? What created it? How did you respond in faith? And what was the outcome? Share your story and inspire others.

Blessings,

 

Ron