ditto. and not just the kind of ditto that you say when you want to make someone else feel better. but seriously, ditto.
im also scared of the fact that ive been practically the first comment on your past few posts. pretty sure that’s a great sign that i need to unplug for the night.
what if the church isn’t dying, but in a vegetative state. Pulse, but no real life, not the death and resurrection that we need either. what if we are lukewarm.
Ditto ditto! Sometimes I just feel like a complete fraud. But then I wonder if it’s just the devil trying to make me my own worst enemy. Then, I cling to grace!
I think I’m most scared of being vulnerable, but I know that this is the place where real, authentic community fosters. But it’s a leap of faith, praying that the Lord Himself will catch me.
That I will fail as a father and husband. When tough times come, I get angry. I know God has guided my steps and has me where he wants me, but it’s still so easy for frustration and depression to take a foothold. I pray every day that I wouldn’t fail to be the example I need to be to my family.
I’m gonna piggyback off a comment from your last entry ’cause that’s my biggest fear right now:
Scared of spending the rest of my life without people who invest tirelessly and selflessly into me to keep me accountable and going in the direction I should go with my gifts.
That I wont be able to lead my family through our Tithe Journey this year and totally mess up relying on God http://wp.me/piguU-cS (shameless plug, thanks NickShoe )
God has entrusted me with a lot to be faithful with and be a part of helping grow. So pretty much the biggest fear of mine is not being faithful with it all and dropping the ball like I did last time. And then thinking of where I’d be then.
Well today I just kept having an anxious sickly feeling of my finances. Since I’m divorced, single parent now I’m always scared of not being able to have enough money to pay for things. The sad thing is that I get so blind to the fact that God has been providing and supporting me. But finances isn’t all that I’m scared about, but this was the scared feeling that I had at the time.
Setting up shop in the only handicap stall in a bathroom only to have a dude roll in in his wheelchair while I’m in the middle of taking care of business.
Relationship-wise, I’m terrified of both getting married and being single forever, in equal measure.
Work-wise, I’m afraid that I will never be in a place where I am happy, that I’ll never have a job that I love and can be satisfied in. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hating where I am for 40 hours a week.
I fear that I am wrong in not doing more. Like God is telling me to go but I listen to others that say it isn’t safe, that those actions would be crazy, that my marriage would not make it, that it would be irresponsible of me, and the list goes on.
How do I act in obedience when this life would be destroyed?
I’m scared of being at church and suddenly being surounded by Joel Osteens before being knocked out by Jeff Henderson. Thanks for giving me something new to be afraid of!
Seriously. I’m afraid of change. Change is inevitable. Nothing we do is designed to be permanent, though we hope it is. All good things must come to an end.
If you’ve fooled God, I’d like to know how. If you have your followers fooled, they wouldn’t keep coming. We may never meet face to face, but from 3000 miles away, you seem pretty real to me. We all have fears. That’s ok. That’s how we learn about faith. And letting go of those fears. I heard a reminder on Intervention. It works in real life as well as recovery. “we are only as sick as our secrets”. I don’t think you are hiding a thing. You have an album coming out. You worked hard on this project. You took advice from God and dozens of tweeps!
i was told by a doctor that i had cancer. I am perfectly healthy i can only presume. I woke up in the middle of the night crying because of this dream. don’t know what it means.
needless to say… well i don’t know what to say. no recent doc visits no nothing. totally random.
Scared that my small children won’t fall head over heels in love with Jesus. Scared that I will make God look like a fool to those who are perishing. And scared that my follow-up scans next month will show that the cancer is not gone.
I am always worried that I am about to do something stupid… then I realize…at this rate I should be worried that I might get something right… somehow God constantly does cool things with my spectacular failures.
oh something cool that I learned… commit to do one thing each week that you are absolutely scared to do… and um… get some insurance hold on for the ride… It is the most awesome spiritual thing you will ever do!
i am called to the mission field…overseas…and that scares the daylights out of me somedays. living off support. being away from family. not knowing anyone.
also, being called to homeless ministry…in a world where men dominate…is intense.
That I’ll try to take over the momentum the Holy Spirit is building in our youth ministry these past few weeks and bring the whole thing crashing to the ground.
That I’ll become bitter in the face of terrible recent disappointment. That I’m not in God’s will. That moving was a huge mistake. That my family will resent me for the relocation. That I’m becoming a controlling & angry monster to my kids. That my dad has cancer. That my parents will die without giving their lives to Jesus.
failing… as a husband, as a father, and as a church planter. Im also starting a new job on Monday – I want to be successful, I fear failing there as well.
That my husband and kids will not get the whole God thing. Other times I get afraid that this God stuff really is just made up like the “intelligent” people say.
That even at 23 i’ll keep letting my parents make me feel like i’m absolutely worthless. That i’ll never meet the guy i’m supposed to marry. That should i get married, i’ll find out i’m unable to have kids
I’m scared of false humility. I see it everywhere, in my life, in my church, Christian friends, family, everywhere.
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.”
Colossians 2:18
Can’t believe I’m the one jumping in with this, but ya gotta go where the Spirit moves…
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
Joan, God really used you by posting that. I was all ready to put in my two cents… But there it was, the verse that I have gone back to over and over for the last 12 years. You see I struggle with anxiety, and God showed me that verse all those years ago and gave me the word picture of God holing me in His hand, promising to never let go! I am thankful to say that by His Grace today I am anxiety free and have been for well over a year. I fear going back to that place though and that’s what I was going to write. It made me sad just to think about it. But then I saw Isaiah 41:10 blazing on your post and smiled remembering God’s promise! Blessings sweet sister!
petrified that my mind and body will not last long enough to finish rearing and providing for my children. I got over the worry about wrecking them…since my oldest is following Christ with all her heart and the younger ones are following right along after her.
I’m most scared of me. My flesh is prone to cheat, be an addict, and not really care about anyone but myself. It’s a daily battle to keep it in a chokehold. Somedays I win and some I lose
I’m scared of the ways that God is going to work in order to make me become more Christlike. I know that it’s what we’ve been called to do and that it leads to life, but it’s still painful. Just in the past 3 months, there has been so many times God has brought me to a place of brokenness, utter dependence on Him, and me realizing my unquenchable need for Him. It’s been freaking scary, but it’s been in those times that I’ve seen God work in amazing ways and have come to know Him so personally and intimately through it that it makes it…wonderful and so worth it.
RAIN IT DOWN
I’ll go first…
I’m most scared that I’ve fooled everyone…
Even God sometimes…
ditto. and not just the kind of ditto that you say when you want to make someone else feel better. but seriously, ditto.
im also scared of the fact that ive been practically the first comment on your past few posts. pretty sure that’s a great sign that i need to unplug for the night.
The slow death of our church.
what if the church isn’t dying, but in a vegetative state. Pulse, but no real life, not the death and resurrection that we need either. what if we are lukewarm.
Ditto ditto! Sometimes I just feel like a complete fraud. But then I wonder if it’s just the devil trying to make me my own worst enemy. Then, I cling to grace!
Elephant beetles.
And that I’ve fooled everyone.
Well said.
I think I’m most scared of being vulnerable, but I know that this is the place where real, authentic community fosters. But it’s a leap of faith, praying that the Lord Himself will catch me.
cancer
Not making a difference – settling for existence and not being an active participant.
ME TOO!!
Scared that I wont learn from painful mistakes.
That I will fail as a father and husband. When tough times come, I get angry. I know God has guided my steps and has me where he wants me, but it’s still so easy for frustration and depression to take a foothold. I pray every day that I wouldn’t fail to be the example I need to be to my family.
life happening really quickly – graduating college, finding a job, possibly getting married – all in the next 18 months…excited but yikes!
Not being able to pay rent.
Failing at starting my own business. shameless plug: http://nickshoe.org
~NickShoe
Being left alone when I need people the most. It makes me want to be independent and make sure I never need people.
Failing my kids as a Dad
That taking this faith-step and following my dream will not be the best thing for my family.
right now – being deserted… again.
all time – finding someone dead.
I’m gonna piggyback off a comment from your last entry ’cause that’s my biggest fear right now:
Scared of spending the rest of my life without people who invest tirelessly and selflessly into me to keep me accountable and going in the direction I should go with my gifts.
There. I need prayer.
That I wont be able to lead my family through our Tithe Journey this year and totally mess up relying on God http://wp.me/piguU-cS (shameless plug, thanks NickShoe
)
Im afraid of Failing…miserably…at everything.
Today, nothing worries me because I am in God’s grace. Every other day, not being filled with grace because I am unworthy.
God has entrusted me with a lot to be faithful with and be a part of helping grow. So pretty much the biggest fear of mine is not being faithful with it all and dropping the ball like I did last time. And then thinking of where I’d be then.
Well today I just kept having an anxious sickly feeling of my finances. Since I’m divorced, single parent now I’m always scared of not being able to have enough money to pay for things. The sad thing is that I get so blind to the fact that God has been providing and supporting me. But finances isn’t all that I’m scared about, but this was the scared feeling that I had at the time.
I fear that I’ll not do the things I feel God wants. That I’ll try to place blame on my children or others and not take the responsibility.
Setting up shop in the only handicap stall in a bathroom only to have a dude roll in in his wheelchair while I’m in the middle of taking care of business.
Was I supposed to be more serious than that?
That I am not hearing God.
I also fear the inability to help people.
I fear broken hearts for others because I know it will happen and there isnt anything I can do about it.
That my dad’s tumors in his lungs are cancer. But I have faith that if it is, that God will heal him.
Relationship-wise, I’m terrified of both getting married and being single forever, in equal measure.
Work-wise, I’m afraid that I will never be in a place where I am happy, that I’ll never have a job that I love and can be satisfied in. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hating where I am for 40 hours a week.
Also, I’m afraid of the dark. For reals.
that i’ll settle for ordinary instead of following Jesus on His crazy adventure
Oh wow this is so me as well… praying for you!
I fear that I am wrong in not doing more. Like God is telling me to go but I listen to others that say it isn’t safe, that those actions would be crazy, that my marriage would not make it, that it would be irresponsible of me, and the list goes on.
How do I act in obedience when this life would be destroyed?
I’m scared of being at church and suddenly being surounded by Joel Osteens before being knocked out by Jeff Henderson. Thanks for giving me something new to be afraid of!
Seriously. I’m afraid of change. Change is inevitable. Nothing we do is designed to be permanent, though we hope it is. All good things must come to an end.
If you’ve fooled God, I’d like to know how. If you have your followers fooled, they wouldn’t keep coming. We may never meet face to face, but from 3000 miles away, you seem pretty real to me. We all have fears. That’s ok. That’s how we learn about faith. And letting go of those fears. I heard a reminder on Intervention. It works in real life as well as recovery. “we are only as sick as our secrets”. I don’t think you are hiding a thing. You have an album coming out. You worked hard on this project. You took advice from God and dozens of tweeps!
Stay true and real, Los. God is watching…..
I’m scared of being too thick headed and of being a hypocrite. I’m afraid of settling.
last night i had a dream…
i was told by a doctor that i had cancer. I am perfectly healthy i can only presume. I woke up in the middle of the night crying because of this dream. don’t know what it means.
needless to say… well i don’t know what to say. no recent doc visits no nothing. totally random.
so…..
~bw
messing up God’s plan for my life somehow. Not being a good husband.
m
loneliness/isolation
never growing and looking back 2 years from now and being the same person.
someone looking back over the last two weeks of my tweets.
Scared that my small children won’t fall head over heels in love with Jesus. Scared that I will make God look like a fool to those who are perishing. And scared that my follow-up scans next month will show that the cancer is not gone.
just snakes…. okay, and maybe the fact ive convinced myself i’ll always be alone.
That I will never get any closer to the me I see in my head and heart. That I’m stuck.
I am afraid of failing. But I am making my way to being afraid of giving up…
Probably loosing my family all at once
that I don’t matter.
talking about living intentionally for God but never getting around to the living part.
honestly….I am most scared that another year will go by and I still will not be pregnant..sorry, not so spiritual, but just being myself.
don’t apologize. i’m scared that i won’t be able to get pregnant too.
It’s refreshing to see something not spiritual, but not refreshing that you are hurting because of this ladies.
Have faith ladies! Took me 15 years to have our son…it will happen…in my case God (as always) had perfect timing.
Thanks Donna..it is encouraging to hear that.
Right now? We won’t have money for rent. I trust God will provide…..but I’m still human, pathetic and scared.
Waking up one day and finding out everyone has lost all hope.
opening up to others about my frustrations and anger at God right now…
I am always worried that I am about to do something stupid… then I realize…at this rate I should be worried that I might get something right… somehow God constantly does cool things with my spectacular failures.
oh something cool that I learned… commit to do one thing each week that you are absolutely scared to do… and um… get some insurance
hold on for the ride… It is the most awesome spiritual thing you will ever do!
i am called to the mission field…overseas…and that scares the daylights out of me somedays. living off support. being away from family. not knowing anyone.
also, being called to homeless ministry…in a world where men dominate…is intense.
I’s scared/excited about starting a new job next month. HUGE answer to prayers but still scary.
I’m most scared of being the same person in 10 years that I am today.
That I’ll try to take over the momentum the Holy Spirit is building in our youth ministry these past few weeks and bring the whole thing crashing to the ground.
Doing what I feel led to do RIGHT NOW. Attending a church planting seminar this weekend.
not finding a place to live in a very short amount of time- (that would mean losing custody of my kids to their dad).
that he won’t come home
That I may never feel that I’ve been faithful.
That I will be single forever.
That I won’t find a job in ministry in the near future.
That we will never be able to adopt.
Being invisible. Forgotten.
That I’ll become bitter in the face of terrible recent disappointment. That I’m not in God’s will. That moving was a huge mistake. That my family will resent me for the relocation. That I’m becoming a controlling & angry monster to my kids. That my dad has cancer. That my parents will die without giving their lives to Jesus.
That I’m disappointing my Saviour.
failing… as a husband, as a father, and as a church planter. Im also starting a new job on Monday – I want to be successful, I fear failing there as well.
I’m scared my kids or husband could die.
that i’ll be physically infirm and feeble before i die (i think i’m prolly a little older than your average reader
Not becoming ALL the person who I was create to BE
That my husband and kids will not get the whole God thing. Other times I get afraid that this God stuff really is just made up like the “intelligent” people say.
That even at 23 i’ll keep letting my parents make me feel like i’m absolutely worthless. That i’ll never meet the guy i’m supposed to marry. That should i get married, i’ll find out i’m unable to have kids
hey, me too.
i am scared of dying too young when finally, love and all i’ve ever wanted is close at hand.
Not going back to Africa. and falling into old sin.
I took apart my Macbook Pro. Pretty scared
ROFL Funny!
that happened to mine once. it’ll be ok…. maybe.
haha. its ok. thanks
your nickname is awesome!
haha. well i did
I’m scared to death that I might not be accepted to seminary, that I might just be imagining the calling I have on my life.
afraid that my wife and I will have a child that dies shortly after birth.
(we have a genetic thing and there’s a 25% chance)
Hearing God’s call on my life, and not heeding it.
I’m scared of false humility. I see it everywhere, in my life, in my church, Christian friends, family, everywhere.
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.”
Colossians 2:18
that’s convicting stuff right there.
good … good word!!!! Amen!
That I’ll never get to go out for dinner again with my Mimi because the cancer has weakened her so much.
Can’t believe I’m the one jumping in with this, but ya gotta go where the Spirit moves…
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
Joan, God really used you by posting that. I was all ready to put in my two cents… But there it was, the verse that I have gone back to over and over for the last 12 years. You see I struggle with anxiety, and God showed me that verse all those years ago and gave me the word picture of God holing me in His hand, promising to never let go! I am thankful to say that by His Grace today I am anxiety free and have been for well over a year. I fear going back to that place though and that’s what I was going to write. It made me sad just to think about it. But then I saw Isaiah 41:10 blazing on your post and smiled remembering God’s promise! Blessings sweet sister!
Rejection
That I’ll never be able to amount to the man I’m supposed to be.
that i made the worst decision of my life and there’s nothing i can do about it now.
the future.
Foreclosure.
That I’ll never get out of debt and end up bankrupt.
That my wife and I will never have another child because we can’t afford to.
That life is just passing me by and I’ve done nothing of significance to change the world.
That I’m going to get schooled big time when I go play basketball with some of our students in a few.
Failing…..well actually I’m afraid to try something that seems wild and crazy and risky…and then I’m afraid of the failing!
Yep, that’s it….
I fear being afraid (duh), helpless, and worthless. I fear being less than what I’m supposed to be.
That the relationship that I long for with a young lady will never have a chance to begin. (long story)
…I now know the feeling of unrequited love. :-/
petrified that my mind and body will not last long enough to finish rearing and providing for my children. I got over the worry about wrecking them…since my oldest is following Christ with all her heart and the younger ones are following right along after her.
that dream you had.
that I will end another day disappointed in myself.
Oh, AND that the entire half a pineapple that I ate last night at ten pm will be seeking it’s revenge…Montezuma style. *shudder*
I’m most scared of me. My flesh is prone to cheat, be an addict, and not really care about anyone but myself. It’s a daily battle to keep it in a chokehold. Somedays I win and some I lose
That I’ll have been crazy successful…at the wrong thing.
i’m scared of being comfortable. seems like that’s when God gets my attention the quickest.
stepping out on this crazy task God has asked me to do…but more scared not to
Not living my life to the fullest for HIM
dying, aging, and snakes
My wife is in labor RIGHT NOW. (And actually mid-contraction as I type this.)
I’m scared of being a father and possibly corrupting a perfectly innocent child.
Scared that if I give over entirely to God’s calling, I won’t know myself any more. Scared of looking like a fool for Christ.
Missing out on what God wants our family to do because we’re too busy and not listening
my family not having a place to live in about 6 months.
My marriage failing.
No question. Intestinal worms. If you had taken microbiology you’d feel the same.
Being alone.
That I’m wrong and there is no God.
That I’ll hesitate too long when God speaks allowing me to talk myself out of obeying.
That these dreams are not for real.
I’m scared of the ways that God is going to work in order to make me become more Christlike. I know that it’s what we’ve been called to do and that it leads to life, but it’s still painful. Just in the past 3 months, there has been so many times God has brought me to a place of brokenness, utter dependence on Him, and me realizing my unquenchable need for Him. It’s been freaking scary, but it’s been in those times that I’ve seen God work in amazing ways and have come to know Him so personally and intimately through it that it makes it…wonderful and so worth it.
Life. Finances. Wife’s bipolar disorder.
Big decisions that I’m facing…that I’ll miss His voice, his leading.
that my wrists won’t heal…and i’ll be disabled. need to trust His plan and not worry. trust and patience.
letting the seeds that I planted in peoples lives grow, even if I’m not there to help.
RAIN DOWN ON US FATHER!!!
Interpreting God’s word too liberally and dismissing essential things as nonessential or things we have freedom in that we don’t …