Most of us live life with some measure of fear; fear as grand as the fear of God or fear as petty as the opinions of others. Nothing breeds fear like failure and disappointment. Nothing breeds fear like unanswered prayers or unfulfilled desires.
If you have asked for anything, then somewhere along the way you have been denied.
If you have risked, then somewhere along the way you have lost.
If you have tried, then somewhere along the way you have failed.
If you have trusted, then somewhere along the way you have been betrayed.
If you have prayed, then somewhere along the way you have been disappointed.
If we have been disappointed in the past, we may fear trusting God in the present, and fear cannot help but hinder our prayers. We may have started with the grand dreams of childhood only to end with paltry, jaded, resigned, prayers—safe prayers. Francis Chan wrote;
“I think the fear of God failing us leads us to ‘cover for God.’” This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more. We even convince ourselves that we don’t want more—that we have all the ‘God’ we need or could want.” 47
One of the great tragedies of the modern Church is that we act out of fear rather than in the boldness of the Spirit. In fact we sometimes avoid the Spirit, lest He actually whisper the words of God, lest He demand great things of us. We pray meager human prayers and live meager human lives, lest we be challenged to live beyond our own means—and find we cannot. When we understand we cannot, we are ready to be used for great things by the Spirit.
Whatever you do, not “cover for God.” God is not afraid of our doubts and not afraid to occasionally disappoint us. But, everything He does is done in love.
Do not seek answers alone from God, seek His face, seek His heart. Drink deeply of His Spirit, or, as Paul wrote, “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). We should seek to be so filled with the Spirit that we live with power, speak with power, and love with power.
To live this fearless, spirit-empowered life, requires fearlessness, recklessness, and abandonment to the will of God. To live this fearless, spirit-empowered life is to say to God—without qualification or amendment—“Here am I. Send me” (Isa. 6:8)! And mean it.
Well! Say it! And mean it.
Copyright©2010 Hudson Russell Davis
Really good! For me, it’s has been easy to say it and mean it. However, the tough part is following through with it. He is still working in and through me. His grace is sufficient for me! Thanks for the message!
Thanks brother. You are welcome.
Hey Hudson – Great post! Wow – so spot on about how we live most of our lives in fear, and end up “covering” for God! Pretty convicting – thanks for letting the Holy Spirit speak through your words to me this morning!