When Fear No Longer Holds the Reins
Scripture Anchor:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
— Proverbs 3:5
Sometimes I wonder why I stay so focused on each day.
I have been asked before, “Don’t you watch the news?”
“Don’t you see what is going on in the world?”
The answer is yes.
Yes, I do watch the news.
Yes, I do see the chaos.
Yes, I do understand that the world feels heavy, uncertain, and loud.
And sometimes I ask the LORD, “Should I panic? Should I be worried about the future?”
And gently, He reminds me, “You lived that way most of your life. Wasn’t that what you surrendered to Me?”
Yes, LORD. It was.
I surrendered the constant anxiety.
I surrendered the panic attacks.
I surrendered the fear of what might happen next.
I surrendered the need to understand everything before I could rest.
Now, I choose to live differently.
Not because it is always easy, but because I am learning to trust the LORD more than I trust fear. I am learning not to lean on my own understanding. I am learning to stay armored up in prayer, truth, wisdom, and the peace of Christ.
For someone like me, who lived with CPTSD and PTSD, being able to rest easy most days is not a small thing. It is evidence of God’s mercy. It is evidence of healing. It is evidence that fear no longer holds the reins the way it once did.
There are still moments when something gets stirred up in me.
My dear friend, Officer Martinez, once spoke with me about these things during our after-school duty. He shared some of his own anxieties, too, as a friend who understands what it is like to carry invisible battles.
And I found comfort in that.
The LORD, in His kindness, had surrounded me with people who could understand—not perfectly, but enough to remind me that I was not alone. He gave me companionship on the path. He gave me wise conversations in ordinary places. He gave me reminders that healing is not always loud; sometimes it comes quietly, while standing beside someone after school, talking honestly about the weight we have carried.
I still see what is happening in the world.
But I do not have to bow to fear.
I can pray.
I can prepare.
I can discern.
I can keep my armor on.
I can stay faithful Today.
Tomorrow belongs to the LORD.
The future belongs to the LORD.
And my heart belongs to the LORD.
So Today, I will not panic.
Today, I will trust.
Today, I will breathe.
Today, I will walk with Jesus.
Today, I will keep my eyes on the One who holds all things together.
Fear may knock, but it does not get to move back in.
Sacred Pause
What fear have I already surrendered to the LORD that keeps trying to return?
Take a moment and pray:
Lord, help me remember that I do not have to pick up what I already placed in Your hands.
Prayer of Repentance and Trust
Heavenly Father,
I come before You in the Name of Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the times I have allowed fear to lead my thoughts, my words, my decisions, or my view of the future.
Forgive me for leaning on my own understanding when You have called me to trust You with all my heart.
Thank You for receiving the anxiety, panic, and fear I surrendered to You. Thank You for healing places in me that once lived in constant alarm. Thank You that fear no longer has the same hold on me because Your Love, Your truth, and Your Spirit are greater.
Lord, keep me armored in Christ. Guard my heart and mind. Help me discern what I need to know without being consumed by what I cannot control.
Surround me with wise, compassionate people who help me remain steady in You. Teach me to be that kind of companion to others, too.
Today, I choose trust over panic.
Peace over fear.
Prayer over worry.
Jesus over everything.
Keep my loved ones and me in Your care.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Amen.