Free Translation - Fear Management (Final Part) - Opening the Heart

"For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within" (2 Corinthians 7: 5, NIV)

After my dear son’s health crisis in September 2014 I got really distressed. We had been at the intensive care unit many times before, but for the first time the idea of “it’s all over” crossed our minds. And I came out from this experience with a lot of fear.

A couple of days later I reached out to a friend of mine, a godly woman, mother of a beautiful girl who has had her share of medical issues.  Her daughter has undergone more than 30 surgeries and went through near-death experiences several times. I asked her for prayer support and advice as I did not want to live in fear. She replied to me: “I have experienced that feeling many times and I also have been there…with her about to leave…I’ll be praying for you. Although we are believers and we know that He is real, we have to open our hearts to him because this is about our little babies…” The phrase “we must open our hearts to him” really hit me.     

We mistakenly believe that we must open our hearts to the Lord just once to accept him as our Savior. But we must open our hearts to Christ every day, because every day our "little I am" wants to sit on the throne that belongs to the "Great I Am". Every day there is a struggle of our affections ... to what or whom we would love more.

I recently read a book by John Piper, “Disability and the Sovereign Goodness of God”, that made reference to the  verse of Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. " Piper said that none of this will make sense, or be helpful, if God himself, and the glory of his incomparable works, is not our greatest treasure.

The Bible won't be a real source of comfort until I love God more than my body, my health, my comfort, my work, my goals, my performance, my ministry, my marriage, my children, etc., . My life will be determined by the circumstances, by the things I want, and by the things I don’t like until the glory of His purpose is my greatest desire.

Managing the fears that come along with the word “cancer” has not been a different process. For the “fears within” we must open our hearts to the Lord every day. We must believe in the goodness of the Lord every day. J.I. Packer, theologian, said that “Calvary is the measure of the goodness of God”. Jesus is the greatest reminder of the goodness of God. That’s why we must return to the Cross every day.

Psalm 34:4 says: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears”. The word “answered” may also be translated as “to sing”. Everyone has a “fear within”. But for every fear, even for those we don’t dare to pronounce, Heaven has a song of love and deliverance. We just need to open our hearts every day.

  

Becky

 

All rigths reserved.  Rebecca Parrilla. May/2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Fear Management (Part 2) - Who is this?

"He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4: 39-41)

When we finally explained to our 8 year old girl about my cancer and talked about the treatment and expected side effects, she wondered what was next. We encouraged her to keep praying and talked about the importance of everyone’s cooperation during the treatment. Then she said: "But, I pray every day, mornings and evenings, and ask God to heal Frandiego and He has not done anything yet" (Note: Her 4 years old brother has a seizure disorder, takes about 16 medicines daily for his various health conditions, and do not speak or walk).

That was "a hit below the belt". Here she was saying something that has crossed our minds but we don’t express as we want to be "good Christians" and "politically correct". Often our fear comes from not understanding the times that Jesus has decided to "sleep" in the midst of our storms. Often the fear comes from not being able to assimilate what he does ... "Who is this?" as the disciples said. Often the fear comes from not knowing how to believe again when the last time we received exactly the opposite of what we asked or expected.

I do not pretend to explain the mysteries of the unanswered prayer. Sometimes we ask with wrong motives (James 4: 3). Sometimes there is spiritual resistance (Daniel 10: 11-13). Sometimes it's a matter of not remaining in Him (John 15: 7). Sometimes it is a matter of not asking according to the will of God (1 John 5: 14-15). And there are many other things that just go in the box of "Unsolved Mysteries". I believe that one day we will stand before the Lord no longer seeing a reflection as in a mirror, as 1 Corinthians 13:12 states, and what we know now in part will be fully  known .

But what do we say to an 8 years old girl? What do we preach to ourselves?

1. As parents we have to realize that we need God's grace. We can bring our daughter to Toys R Us, to Disney, etc. We can teach her and modeling a Christian character. But we can’t create or simulate an experience of faith. Our children need an encounter with Jesus and for that we depend entirely on God's grace.

2. Our circumstances may change, but God's nature does not change. "He does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).

·        He is holy - In other words, he breaks all the records. He is out of any league.  He is above and beyond. That’s why we don’t always understand what He does. Many times we won’t know where to categorize him.

·        He is good - He is totally and absolutely good. He can’t be better or worse. He is good in his actions and motives.

·        He is righteous – His righteousness is not related to what he does or doesn’t. He is the definition of righteousness. If He moves to the right, righteousness is there. If He moves to the left, righteousness is there.

On any day, and anywhere we can trust in the unchanging nature of God revealed in His word. He is good. He is righteous. He is holy. He is God. No storm can ever change that.

3. When it comes to healing I always pray with confidence. I believe that on the cross Jesus was crushed for our iniquities and that by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53: 5). I have witnessed healing miracles. As a mom I'll never stop praying and believing that God can heal my son. And I keep praying for health and life for myself. I believe as the Psalmist that we can see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). But I also pray with the boldness of those who know a big secret. This “secret” is that anyways this world is not my home and this body is not the final word. I know that by the sacrifice of Christ, our healing is guaranteed either here or in eternity (Revelations 21: 4). And I know that we will be here until God's purpose for our lives is fulfilled.

We know better than the disciples. After the Cross and Jesus’ resurrection there is no any doubt about "Who is this?" By faith we have seen the wounds that guarantee our healing. By his sacrifice we have access to gaze God's goodness and holiness without fearing his righteousness.

Our prayer is that Julietta and anyone who is afraid to believe again because doesn’t understand how God handled some “storms” in the past, may have the conviction that He is in the boat. We pray that storms do not distort God’s loving nature as revealed in the Bible. We pray that you can remember as a dear pastor once taught us: that a “sleeping” Christ is more powerful than a storm fully awake. We pray that you can hear the unique and holy voice of the One who still say to the waves “quiet, be still”.

 

Becky

 

All rights reserved. Rebecca Parrilla. May/2015.