Spiders and I have a tenuous relationship. As a little girl, I thought they were downright freaky. But my beloved grandmother loved to scoop up daddy long-legs and sweet talk ‘em. More afraid I’d disappoint her than I was of the nickel-sized monsters, I’d give the spiders she found chummy names and pretend to be interested.
Once upon another time in Ecuador, classmates had a phobia of the little eight-legged reminders that evil has corrupted this world. In the safety of my own room, I gave the beasts a wide berth. But among my peers a bigger fear reigned: admitting weakness. So I feigned courage as the designated squasher when all the guys had gone off and every girl was arguing over who would check the rooms for creepy, crawling terrors.
On the other hand, those who already know me well enough to disbelieve my fake bravery are more accustomed to the sound of screaming and stomping in the shower when anything else moves in there. I’m not afraid of these people or what they think of me so I’m rather free to exhibit my fear of arachnids with full gusto.
My fear of spiders seems directly proportional to my fear of people’s thoughts of me.
But I’ve been learning fear is always proportional. How we measure our fears matters.
As a freelance writer, I work from home. Previously, my office was a little room with a sharply pitched roof and a solitary window. It was tacked on top of what was once a garage and the insulation was so lacking that at times it was warmer to walk in the snow or cooler to go sit out in the shade. Still, it was (mostly) charming.
Too often though, as I worked, I discovered spiders an inch from my nose. They bungee jumped from the ceiling and it seemed I was their target.
Because I work from home, I was usually alone when their escapades occured. Since my arachnophobia corresponds to my fear of other’s thoughts, that was a dilemma.
I had no one to call for immediate rescue.
I also had no one to prove myself to by faking bravery.
To decide between paralysis and action, I needed something new to measure my fear against.
The pickings were slim.
If I weighed my fear of spiders against my fear of missing deadlines, the competition was close. If I weighed my fear of valiantly relocating or crushing spiders against my fear of allowing them to run free, the answer was clear: they’d learned to parachute onto my head! There was no telling what more they might do!
The real secret to actionable courage, it seems, is finding a bigger fear.
“Fear of the Lord,” Proverbs 9:10 says, “is the beginning of wisdom.”
God backs up this claim.
When God called the Israelites to courage in the face of fearsome enemies, he offered no encouragement that they were strong enough or brave enough. Instead, God directed them to someone more fearsome than their enemies: himself. God’s response to our fears is the same.
He stands beside our fears and invites us to compare the proportions.
My tactic for courage in the face of eight-legged risks and two-legged threats has changed. I’m starting to measure them against the God I revere. Not surprisingly, God always proves mightier.
[bctt tweet=”Fearing God makes other fears seem foolish.” @BethanyMcIlrath username=”PatHolbrook”]
That proportionate perspective, to me, makes sizing up life’s spiders much less intimidating!
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Bethany,
What a simple, yet awesome perspective. Fearing God puts every other fear in its place. Even with my worst fears, God is bigger still. I love this!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Amen, He is bigger still : ) Thanks, Bev! Blessings too!
Bethany,
What a simple, yet awesome perspective. Fearing God puts every other fear in its place. Even with my worst fears, God is bigger still. I love this!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Amen, He is bigger still : ) Thanks, Bev! Blessings too!
Good word Bethany. You have put fear in its place. It’s nothing in comparison to our almighty God. It is Him we should have a reverent fear of. And lucky for us, He is good, calm, merciful, full of grace and doesn’t have eight creepy, crawly legs!
Amen, Christy. I’m also go glad God doesn’t have 8 legs : )
Good word Bethany. You have put fear in its place. It’s nothing in comparison to our almighty God. It is Him we should have a reverent fear of. And lucky for us, He is good, calm, merciful, full of grace and doesn’t have eight creepy, crawly legs!
Amen, Christy. I’m also go glad God doesn’t have 8 legs : )
Absolutely love this! My God stand besides my fear and everything including fear fails to compare. Thank you
Absolutely and amen! Thank you!
Absolutely love this! My God stand besides my fear and everything including fear fails to compare. Thank you
Absolutely and amen! Thank you!
I’m bumping into your wisdom all over the place this week!
Thanks for this spider-ly wisdom to live in a better fear and to experience its “expulsive power!”
Glad to find you here, too, Michele : ) “Expulsive power!” I like that! Thank you!
I’m bumping into your wisdom all over the place this week!
Thanks for this spider-ly wisdom to live in a better fear and to experience its “expulsive power!”
Glad to find you here, too, Michele : ) “Expulsive power!” I like that! Thank you!
I admit- I’ve not looked at fear In this way before. What an interested perspective! I really enjoyed this new outlook!
And girl, I am right there with you. When it come s to spiders! I had an enormous one sprint across my floor last night. Eek!
But my fear of them roaming free frightens me more than mustering up the courage to squash them! 😉
Thanks, Rachel! And oh yikes!! Go you for squashing them!!
I admit- I’ve not looked at fear In this way before. What an interested perspective! I really enjoyed this new outlook!
And girl, I am right there with you. When it come s to spiders! I had an enormous one sprint across my floor last night. Eek!
But my fear of them roaming free frightens me more than mustering up the courage to squash them! 😉
Thanks, Rachel! And oh yikes!! Go you for squashing them!!
I love your post, Bethany!
Thank you, Ruth!
I love your post, Bethany!
Thank you, Ruth!
Great post Patricia,
Perfect love drives out fear, but we have to come to that place of allowing His perfect love to fill that place of fear/s…
Thank you for hosting 🙂
Jennifer
So thankful perfect love drives out fear! Thanks for joining!
Great post Patricia,
Perfect love drives out fear, but we have to come to that place of allowing His perfect love to fill that place of fear/s…
Thank you for hosting 🙂
Jennifer
So thankful perfect love drives out fear! Thanks for joining!
Fear is awful isn’t it. A healthy respect of an awesome God is better.
Amen and amen!
Fear is awful isn’t it. A healthy respect of an awesome God is better.
Amen and amen!
Oh so good, Bethany. You have a way of unfolding a story like I have never seen before. I think was right on time for me. I need to hold up the fears to God. He has me in the palm of his hand.
Aw, thanks Meg! Amen, He has you and I in His hand!
Oh so good, Bethany. You have a way of unfolding a story like I have never seen before. I think was right on time for me. I need to hold up the fears to God. He has me in the palm of his hand.
Aw, thanks Meg! Amen, He has you and I in His hand!
Bethany, I’ve been at a place too where fear could have crippled me. I’m so grateful that God’s Word is practical and gives us tools so that we don’t have to live in fear. Thank you for this great reminder!
Bethany, I’ve been at a place too where fear could have crippled me. I’m so grateful that God’s Word is practical and gives us tools so that we don’t have to live in fear. Thank you for this great reminder!