Look Fear in the Face

When Jarius, the leader of the synagogue, was told that his daughter was dead, Jesus said, “Do not fear.  Only believe.”

Mark 5:35-36

Notes for Contemplation as You Use this Devotional:

• In this passage, from a healing story by the Gospel Writer Called Mark, Jesus urges Jarius to hold faith over fear, directing his energy and attention toward positive outcome. Just because Jarius has been told that his daughter is dead doesn’t mean that’s true. With Jesus’s help, Jarius can verify the truth for himself.
• Jesus is a mystic, master teacher, healer, and wayshower for multitudes because he fully embodies and radiates his absolute divinity. He knows his divine heritage and embraces his role as the Christ, the greatest expression of his perfect soul self. Jesus isn’t fearful because he aligns himself with God (Higher Power, Supreme Being, etc.) and believes in God’s power within him.
• Fear is a monstrous, paralyzing belief that blocks your intuition (your still, small voice) and diminishes your personal power, strength, and wisdom. Fear appears in many forms and may, for example, be:
  • Inherited. If generations of your family have feared scorpions, you might be afraid of them, too, even if you’ve never seen one.
  • Programmed. Several teachers tell you, “You won’t amount to anything if you don’t get a college degree.”  So, you may relinquish your dream of being a playwright and struggle in a corporate job.
  • Absorbed. Your media feeds keep streaming: “The world will blow up if he/she/they is elected,” so you believe it as the gospel.
• Your greatest spiritual tool when fear arises is courage. With courage, you may not completely eradicate fear, but you have the confidence and tenacity that keeps fear from ruling your life. You don’t ask: “What’s the worst that can happen?”  You ask instead: “What’s the best that can happen?”
• Your subconscious mind is neutral territory, like a recording device. It doesn’t know the difference between a positive or negative; it only knows what you tell it. So, if you tell yourself something like, “This is going to be scary,” your mind constricts and your body becomes tense.  You’re programmed in fear mode, prepared to act based on linear, survival instinct.  Yet, if you tell yourself something like, “This may be challenging, but I’m courageous and faithful,” you can remain calm, listen to your intuition, and consider the situation before you, even if you must do it quickly.
• Metaphysician and Unity Co-Founder Myrtle Fillmore, who overcame physical illness and financial hardship, recognized that sometimes “we fear that there are obstacles in our way. If there are obstacles,” she said, “we have made them [with our mindset]. God never put anything in the way of progress.  When we get rid of our fears, we find that our way is clear.”
• Demonstration is your evidence of how well your life works. When you use courage to look fear in the face, you know you’re the leader of your own life. You honor your divine nature and claim your personal power.  You do your own research to verify information and assess circumstances for yourself, so you can discern what’s best for you and those in your care.

Contemplation Questions:

As you reflect on your life and circumstances, ask yourself:

• What do I fear?
  • Without analysis or judgment, list, word map, or illustrate the fear(s).

• When I look these fears in the face, what can/can’t I control?
  • List, word map, or illustrate which is which.

• When I look these fears in the face, what do I really see?
  • List, word map, or illustrate everything you see.

• What are at least three (3) ways I can reframe fear and focus on best outcome?
  • List, word map, or illustrate as much as you imagine.

Use this devotional anytime you want to embrace courage.  Avoid judging or justifying any fears.  Just notice them.  Be gentle with yourself and treat yourself with lovingkindness and tenderness, as you would a child.  Remind yourself that you are a divine, courageous, spiritual being with great faith, strength, and wisdom.  Trust your intuition and believe in your best outcome.

© 2024 – Rev. Jennifer L. Sacks – All rights reserved.

Photo from Shutterstock by Anna Jackowska.