Encouragement

Christian Perspective

"Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore." Psalm 105:4

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Thought: Fear in Disguise

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear--it doesn't always come marching into our lives wearing a T-shirt labeled "fear." Sometimes fear takes on disguises and appears as a welcome guest. Yet beware: disguised or not, fear enslaves wherever it goes.

I recently found this intruder taking on the noble-sounding disguise of wanting to get it right. I wanted to say the proper thing. I didn't want it to be taken wrong or misunderstood. That all sounded noble, yet it was the voice of fear, not the Lord.

Deep down, I was afraid I would mess up, say the wrong thing, or cause someone else to stumble. Those fears--disguised as they were--were enslaving me, keeping me from speaking and acting in God's freedom and truth.

God has not given us a spirit of fear. He's called us to "stir up" the gifts He's given us--to serve Him wholeheartedly, without fearing our mistakes, other's opinions, or anything else. It's His love--not fear--that we want to govern each action.

If you find fear trying to sneak its way into your heart, yank its mask off with the truth. Remind yourself of God's unconditional love--that He is leading and guiding you and is over even your mistakes. Focus on His greatness. Recognize His power over every circumstance. And walk forward in His love--trusting Him and obeying His call.

Story: Too Scared to Walk

Anthony's big eyes followed the ball as it bounced back and forth between his older brothers. That looked like so much fun--how he wished he could join them!

"You'd like to play too, wouldn't you?" Anthony's mother, Mrs. Richardson, asked as she smiled down at him from her seat on the park bench.

Anthony nodded.

"You can, Anthony--you just have to walk. Come on, give it a try," with that, Mrs. Richardson kneeled down on the ground a few feet from where Anthony stood holding onto the park bench, holding out her hands to him, just as she had done for months. Her son was almost two-and-a-half, but he still refused to give walking a try.

Anthony responded by opening his big eyes even wider. He couldn't--he just couldn't. He didn't know how to walk. The whole idea of putting all his weight on those two little sticks he heard his parents call legs terrified him.

Mrs. Richardson seemed to read his thoughts. "You can do it, Anthony. Just try. You'll never get to run and play if you don't walk."

But Anthony only responded by tightening his little fingers around the park bench he'd been leaning against. He just couldn't walk. He was too afraid. Fear had enslaved him, just as surely as a prison bar.

Mrs. Richardson sighed. When would her son be ready to overcome his fear and enjoy the many things waiting for him when he chose to walk?

Homeschool Tip: Letting the Fear Go

- Cris Loop

Fear is no stranger to homeschooling parents. And, as Katherine shared, it can keep us from walking in freedom or--as it did to Anthony in the story--keep us from walking at all. The sad part is that many times we don't even know that we are afraid. When I was homeschooling, I had lots of fears and didn’t even know it.  

Was I smart enough to really give my children the academics they needed? Would they know how to interact with others? Was I using the "right" curriculum? Could I really homeschool them during this trial? Was I teaching them what they need to know? It wasn't until my children graduated that I saw how these fears had affected the day-to-day decisions in our homeschooling.

For example, to combat my fear of not being smart enough to teach my own children, I stressed academics. While academics are a part of homeschooling, for a couple of years I put them above more important things. Yes, there was a lot of pride in how “smart” my children were.

In a similar fashion, my fear that my children would not be properly socialized led me to adapt some of the world's thinking in this area. In the early years of my homeschooling journey, rather than trusting God for social settings with people of all ages, I fell into purposefully putting my children in situations where they were around peers. As I think about it, some of my emphasis there was fear of what others would think if I didn't.

One day a dear woman saw what was happening in my home and shared with me the joy and peace of just letting God have control of each and every day--of putting Jesus first in everything. I needed to let go of my fears, along with my pride and reputation, and let  Jesus have the number one place in our homeschool. It is my prayer for you this month is that you would be able to hand over any fears you might have and walk daily in the joy and peace only God can bring.

Tidbits on Math--From a Christian Perspective

Here are the most recent posts from the Math from a Christian Perspective Blog. If you like, you can sign up to receive an e-mail of the posts as they come out here.

Feedback Needed: New Book Title
Mammoth Math Curriculum - And Free Worksheet Generators

Hymn/Poem: Trust

Reverend Paul Gerhardt (1656); translated by Reverend John Wesley (1739). Found in The Hymnal (The Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work: Philadelphia, 1895), number 538. Several alternate verses are available on NetHymnal.