I’m just so tired of being a puppet on a string, controlled by fear. Can someone please pass me the scissors so I can cut the ties that bind me to this bundle of wires directing my every move?
I can be a weak and tiny marionette manipulated by fear acting as the puppeteer. Picture me dressed in uneasiness and worry, wearing a hat called panic. My arms are tethered to strings named “what-if” and “if-only,” while my legs are manipulated by the cords of “discouragement” and “doubt.” I despise the control I sometimes give to fear. Like a powerless and paralyzed wooden doll on a wire, I don’t make any moves without fear’s approval.
Does fear boss you around, too? What are you afraid of?
I’m afraid for my kids.
I’m afraid I’m not a good mom.
I’m afraid I’ll fail.
I’m afraid of criticism.
I’m afraid of rejection.
Fear is a trap. It causes us to settle for less than God’s best and eventually convinces us he isn’t even interested in our best. If I chase that deceptive rabbit, I become certain God is withholding the good life from me. I flounder around and get tangled in the ropes of panic. And when I’m restrained and unable to move, I imagine God is laughing at me, poking fun, and enjoying my sleepless nights of fighting fear and stress. But that’s the exact opposite of what is true.
But living in fear isn’t the life of freedom to which we are called. Don’t you want more? I know I do. We can cut the strings that fasten us to fear, you know. We can live without being afraid or deceived.
I want to remind you of three simple scriptures you’ve likely heard. But maybe today you need to believe them, and choose to act accordingly.
∙ Isaiah 41:10—Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
∙ Psalm 34:4—I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
∙ 2 Timothy 1:7—For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
When your spiritual enemy holds your ropes, you’ll never be free to dance through life. So meditate on these scriptures. Believe. Imagine yourself clipping the ties binding you to fear and controlling your every movement. Fear is not your puppet master, and you’re no puppet on a string. You’re alive in Christ and he has made you free. This is true no matter what comes our way in life. God is with us. He hears us and answers us. He empowers us to live bravely.
