Joshua 10:8    And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.  (KJV)

Have you noticed what I am seeing in these “fear nots”?  Most of our fear is of people!  Not disease.  Not financial ruin.  Not loss of life, limb, livelihood.  Our fear is–fear of PEOPLE!   People, a urn or hinged box full of dust with breath gone wrong sitting on a mantle or placed in a mausoleum.  The them are the ones in your circle causing you great distress.

Will Smith, the actor of Fresh Prince of Bel Air fame, said, “Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions.”  I wish someone had told me that at the age of twelve!  (Sorry, if you now have the rap of FPBA in your head for the day!)

Basically, people are who we fear because their decisions affect our lives, causing us the most discomfort (ok let’s be honest–gut wrenching pain).  Our feelings and emotions are so tied to our relationships and what others think of us.  Our fear rises from deep within our soul and this fear has a name:  Not Enoughness (“not pretty enough, strong enough, smart enough, rich enough, educated enough, athletic enough, tall enough, thin enough, ad nauseum”)  according to gifted writer Brene’ Brown.

Do you have a people problem?  Sure you do, if you still have a beating heart!  Listen to your Heavenly Father, He is telling you He has it under control and He will deliver into your open and waiting hands the answer to the problem with them.  Notice I said open and waiting, not clenched and controlling.

Instead of wanting to hire a hitman to eliminate the “problem,” hear Him whisper, “They cannot stand before you.  They are going down.” (paraphrase mine)

FYI:  I am preaching to self. Just need to get this picture of dust in a box in my head!

Treading hard today,

Yvonne