Fear. That was the “word of the day” or Table Topic for the day. I am on the job only three days and my department – Training and Consulting – are attending a weekly meeting of Toastmasters. I have heard of this fine organization but never attended a meeting. My trainer for this week told me that it is “Voluntold” that we go to these meetings… lol … instead of Volunteer… our manager encourages us to go to help us with our speaking and presentation skills. I jumped at the chance! It was great fun and we all learned some good “stuff” about each other. Let me explain a bit.
The speaker for the day was a very “together” lady that spoke of an event in her life that brought about “fear” and she spent about 15 minutes speaking about her “fear event”. It was quite enlightening and transparent as she reveals an event in her life that would have elicited fear in anyone. It was an emotional, yet entertaining story and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. She ended with a wonderful statement that encouraged me. She said something like… “This was very hard for me to go through, but it was nothing like what Jesus went through His last night on earth.” Now that is paraphrased, but you get the idea. She didn’t elaborate on that but God just showed me a believer in the crowd and I felt His peace.
After she told her story, we all had the opportunity – well, we didn’t have a choice – to get up and tell about our greatest fear. There was the three of us new Trainers/Consultants and then the two veterans – they have only been there 6 months – and then our manager, who has been with the company for 15+ years. Also attending was one other gentleman and another lady. It was most fun and I really enjoyed the time spent with these wonderful co-workers.
Not surprising that the main fear of these young men from my department was the fear of failure or disappointing someone or not doing all they could for the day to the best of their ability. I thought that to be a little sad. Young men in today’s society – and sometimes young women – are pushed to achieve, succeed, make a name for yourself. These young men are bright, funny, personable, handsome young men and definitely over achievers, but they still have this fear of failure.
My parents always encouraged us three kids to go for it. Go for whatever you think you can do and do it your best. Never can I ever remember either of them saying “You were not good enough … you could have done better.” Or “You have to achieve to be someone in life.” Etc. I can only remember encouraging words and of course instructional words… I needed a lot of those, most of the teen years. However, I cannot think of a time when I felt pushed so much to have a “fear” of not being good enough, not achieving enough, or not being successful. I am so thankful my parents instilled in us three kids, myself and my two brothers, that our worth is priceless because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross and the empty tomb and not because of anything we do or don’t do in life! Praise God! God loved us from before we were conceived and will love us for eternity because we are children of the King! He calls us His beloved for a reason! Because He created us ad He loves us greatly!
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.[c]
21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
So the Toastmaster experience was quite enlightening and informative. I am looking forward to each day with anticipation of how God is going to grow me some more. I am in another type of growth period right now, I believe. It is yet another wonderful God experience at every turn. I am in my element, for sure! I am finally using my brain… well, expanding it at least for now. I haven’t used my brain quite like am now in a very long time and it is screaming for more! I love my new job and like I said, I can’t wait to share the new journey with you. God is such a Good God and one that cares about each step of my journey. He has prepared me for such a time as this and I know I will be successful because He is my Rock, my Shield, my Deliverer, my sustainer, my very present help in time of need.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.
Just a few verses of encouragement for you as well. Let’s make our Word of the Day something that is wonderful, encouraging, helpful, and so powerful! YOU. You are the word of the day! You are His beloved and He cares for you too! He wants you to know you are good, great just like you are. Your worth is NOT in what the world sees as worth. Your worth – if you are “In Christ” is in Him! He is your worth. You are a priceless child of the King of Creation! Jesus didn’t come to earth and live and die and rise again just because He could. He did it for you, He did it for me! He wants to spend eternity with each of us. Call out to Him today. If you want to know more about what it means to be a Christ follower, click this link – Bible.org. It will take you to a webpage that tells you about how to follow a Simple Plan of Salvation and you, too, can spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
The Video – He Has Made Me Glad (w/lyrics) – Hillsong