A New Type of Fun
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Insight
In our house, we’ve operated on the belief that man's greatest fear is the unknown. This understanding has been at the core of our parenting, often with entertaining results. The unknown brings with it an edge of excitement. A new restaurant, a new vacation spot, a new ride at Disney (our family's happy place). We chatter excitedly on the way, wondering what it'll be like. But just as often, the unknown brings with it a big ol' case of nerves.
So, every time our kids tried something new with trepidation, we had some stock strategies. First, we made"new" fun. A new school year wouldn’t be complete without new school supplies. Spiderman pocket folders! Hello Kitty colored pencils! Some may call this a bribe, but I prefer to say reward. We also linked the new to something familiar. This worked great with new foods. We told our kids “you are what you eat,” so when my son was on his way to "turning into a chicken nugget," we convinced him the steak at Hibachi was really brown chicken.
Still, the fear of the unknown shows how uncertainty brings on anxiety. Think of the strategies we employ when encountering people we don't know. If it's with a closed heart, we first sift through what we see, what we've heard by rumor or reputation. If our greatest fear is the unknown, we may use labels to help reduce our fear level by falsely assuming we know someone by the label we have applied. When faced with the choice of vulnerability or labels, all too often, labels win. Taken to its extreme, this is the root of racism, antisemitism, and all the other awful "isms" that come from unjust, limiting labels. Fear closes our heart to open dialogue, understanding, even fundamental civility. Ultimately, fear takes us down a dangerous road of division & isolation.
We like to be in the know. A level of predictability gives us a semblance of control in an uncertain world. But we do have a real certainty we can cling to - a faithful Father who loves us beyond comprehension. The more vulnerable we are with Him- the more we seek Him, to hear Him, to walk with Him, to abide in Him-the more our fear dissipates.
We have an intimacy with our Creator, based on trust, on quality time, and on receptivity. We know who He is, and who we are in His eyes. This reassures us of God's eternal faithfulness, which is the most fundamental certainty we can cling to. What's more, we get to carry that confidence into the uncertainties of our world, knowing the King of the Universe has our back.
Christian missionary, Hudson Taylor reminds us, "All God's giants have been weak men and women who have gotten hold of God's faithfulness." This only happens when we open our hearts to Him, and seek Him intentionally and fearlessly. We will find Him, and all His miraculous beauty when we lead with our heart, open & willing.
Reflection
Is there a place in your life where labels have limited you from having a genuine connection?
Prayer
Father, thank you for Your steadfast and faithful presence, and your consistent call to us to truly know You. The joy, the peace, the life You offer when we open our hearts to You is beyond compare. Help us to see where labels have limited intimacy and genuine connection and help us to open up and put fear aside. Help us to lean into You so we can truly know who You are, and who we are in You. Strengthen us to reflect that relationship to a world that desperately needs to see Your Great Love. In Jesus' Name...Amen.
Port City writer Paula Argenio wrote today’s devotional.