A little bit ago, I posted about Bethel’s struggle with fear.

Last Sunday after the morning service, she came and tearfully asked if I would pray with her for boldness to be baptized. (I have asked her before if she was okay if I prayed she would have boldness to do right like the new Christians in Acts prayed for boldness.) We prayed, and then I suggested that she ask our pastor if he would also pray that she would have boldness. She hesitated.

I told her, “If you think you should do it, then do it quickly before you start thinking about it. The longer you think about it, the more you will fear.” It helps to have a little girl that thinks like I do. I have learned (in my spiritual moments) it is best to act quickly when I want to do something for God that involves talking to people. I regret far more what I DONT say for Christ than what I do.

She popped up and ran off, Bethel fashion. She came back a few minutes later and reported that she asked, and he said he would pray for her.

That night, after the evening service, she went forward and was baptized. She said later that she knew it was better to do right and not have the burden on her conscience. Glory! In God’s grace, she didn’t feel pushed at all. How I agonized and worried about not pushing too much, not wanting to create a false decision that she would resent later, but yet wanting to be honest about what is right.

Lord, grant unto me the boldness to speak your word to my children.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,  By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:29-31

A new move is a great time to talk about fear, and I’ve been talking about fear with Bethel (and the other two listening in).

It started with the swimming test discussion. A week later, we were talking about fear again. Bethel told me she was fearful of swimming out in the ocean to where her dad and siblings were snorkeling. I asked her if her fear was of the unknown, or of danger.

A few days earlier, we had talked about how the right way to respond to fear depends on what we are afraid of. Fear of danger means we take the time to protect ourselves from real danger. She mentioned that she was afraid of dangerous coral or fish– small but real danger where we were swimming. I explained that in this case, more knowledge would be helpful for her. In fact, we had given the kids special felt bottomed shoes that would protect them if they stepped on something that could hurt them. And I explained that any larger fish we were swimming with were not aggressive unless they were provoked (like someone grabbing at it)

Knowledge can help the fear of the unknown. But I think for Bethel, just the process of asking herself where her fear was coming from was helpful.

Yesterday the pastor of the church we have been attending asked Bethel (with permission from Lee and me) about her salvation testimony and about baptism. Afterwards, Bethel came to talk with me about the discussion. I asked her what had been keeping her from being baptized, and she answered simply, “fear.”

I asked her if her fear was of danger, of the unknown, or of what people would think of her (fear of man). Again, helping her sort out where her fear was coming from was helpful.

Hmmm…. Maybe I should consider my own fears in this way.

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. I Timothy 1:7