Fearless Friday ~ Gaining Strength from Scripture in the Midst of Fear!
Genesis 18:15
Have you ever done something then been gripped by that stomach plummeting, heart stopping grip of fear when you are challenged about it?!
- I didn’t break it
- I didn’t steal it
- It was the other driver’s fault, I wasn’t speeding
- I didn’t spend too much, it was on sale
- I didn’t break my promise
- I wasn’t speaking bad about my husband
- I didn’t eat the last cookie!!
I’m sure no matter how big or small that moment was for you, it was significant enough to relate to the feeling.
My heart goes out to Sarah. I am a sufferer of nervous laughter! I don’t know why but I can’t stop that inappropriate nervous laugh coming out of my mouth in the most inopportune of times. Seriously! Things I genuinely don’t find funny I respond to by laughing. It’s a laughter of disbelief, sadness, empathy – it is a coping mechanism that many of us have adopted and it appears that Sarah copes in the same we as we all do.
Upon hearing The Lord tell Abraham that they would have a son within the next year, Sarah laughed to herself (Genesis 18:10-12). She laughed in disbelief. She laughed a nervous laughter of “this is too good to be true” and I have certainly laughed that same laugh!
“Are you laughing?” is the challenge we hear and our immediate response it “No, of course not!” We don’t like to be caught out because we know it was an inappropriate laugh that honestly, we wish hadn’t come out of our mouths so involuntarily. I have even seen myself try to cover it with a cough! Is this just me? I hope not!
Imagine being challenged by the one you honor and respect above all. Imagine being challenged by the one you want to please and hate to imagine being disappointed in you. Imagine how Sarah felt. She was afraid at the thought of being caught out. She was afraid at the idea of being perceived as inappropriate and dishonoring to the Lord, and her husband. So she covered that fear with a lie.
Sweet friends I have been there. I have lied to protect myself, to save face, to cover my tracks, to avoid disappointing a loved one…but that is not what God calls us to do.
“Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me?” Isaiah 57:11 esv
When we lie, we are not only lying to the one from whom we are keeping the truth, but we are also sinning. Matthew Henry’s Commentary says: “There was withal a sinful attempt to cover a sin with a lie. It is a shame to do amiss, but a greater shame to deny it; for thereby we add iniquity to our iniquity.”
I love Jesus’ words to his disciples in John 8:32 (ESV):
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus is talking about God’s Word, THE truth, setting us free. His Word is our guidebook to life! Let the truth of His Word and His grace and mercy set you free. Sweet friends, do not live in fear. Do not allow one mistake to tumble into another and another and another. Lie to cover lie. Be bold and courageous and allow speaking truth to set you free. Start by being honest to The Lord in prayer. He already knows it all but He wants you to confess and ask for His forgiveness. It’s the best place to start. Then you can let Him lead you in your next steps. Of course we have to be sensitive about when and how to confess lies to those we love, but confessing them to The Lord is a necessary first step.
Be Honest about your Nervous Laughter
Embrace TRUTH and have a Fearless Friday!
If you were encouraged by this post why not share it with a friend!
wwjdjulie2013 said:
I’m a nervous laugher, too, in uncomfortable situations and it sometimes comes off as if I am okay with an inappropriate comment or something when I am actually embarrassed or just uncomfortable. Or someone is relating a sad story and all of a sudden I giggle. Embarrassing! I don’t know that it ever caused me to lie to cover it up, unless it is a lie of ommission from not explaining why I giggled. Until now I never thought about praying against it and asking God to change the way i react in these situations. Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
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Sarah Travis said:
You are welcome! I think the next time it happens to me I might try just offering a couple of words of explanation. It might even open the door to more dialogue that God can work through 🙂
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klsaiken said:
I always cover with a cough 🙂 These “Fearless Friday” posts have been coming at exactly the right times!!!!!!! Thank you friend. You always encourage me!
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Sarah Travis said:
So glad it’s not just me!! You are such an incredible friend and I hope you have a #FearlessFriday! Love you 🙂
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