“Certainly our world has always been, and will continue to be, imperfect. Far too many innocent people suffer because of circumstances of nature as well as from man’s inhumanity. The corruption and wickedness in our day are unique and alarming.
But in spite of all this, I wouldn’t trade living in this time with any other time in the history of the world. We are blessed beyond measure to live in a day of unparalleled prosperity, enlightenment, and advantage. Most of all, we are blessed to have the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us a unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them.
When I think of these blessings, I want to fall to my knees and offer praises to our Heavenly Father for His never-ending love for all of His children.
I don’t believe God wants His children to be fearful or dwell on the evils of the world. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
He has given us an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them. The Lord often reminds us to “be not afraid,” to “be of good cheer,” and to “fear not, little flock.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear,” General Conference, April 2017)
Once again I find myself contemplating the craziness of the world we live in today. In just the last week there has been so much fear. So much violence. A random act that lead to a large portion of the city on lockdown for fear of a spree, then yet another mass shooting in a community. It seems like such a common occurrence that it has become the new normal. It is hard not to be fearful every time I drop my kids off at school, go to a mall or hospital, or walk through an unfamiliar part of town. It is exhausting and completely useless to be afraid. It doesn’t help me or anyone else, but it is hard not to fear when we are inundated with stories of violence and evil.
My sons are often fearful—sometimes completely irrationally so. Tonight my son told us to stop saying the word “Mercedes” because it was creeping him out and he didn’t want to have nightmares. I’m not sure what is scary about a Mercedes… I had one in high school and sure, it was slow and old and loud, but it wasn’t scary! But when my kids are having a hard time I always tell them, “fear does not come from Heavenly Father. It comes from Satan. He wants us to be afraid because you can’t be afraid and feel the spirit at the same time. So if you don’t want to be afraid, do something that brings the spirit. Pray, sing a song, read some scriptures and think about Jesus.”
Those simple instructions to my boys are still true for us. Fear does not come from God. Satan wants us afraid and to feel like we are alone. We are not. God is with us. Right now I find the best way to combat the fear of this big, scary world we live in is with gratitude. I start listing, out loud if necessary, all the things I am grateful for: My family, the trees growing in my yard, baseball coaches, teachers, grass, heavy whipping cream, new running shoes, kisses from my 2 year old, the sun shining through my kitchen window, my pillow. I list as many things as I can think of—big or small. And it helps. Gratitude and Love. They are what chase away fear and combat the darkness.
Meditation and Journaling Prompt: What are you afraid of? How can you chase out the fear and invite the Spirit into your heart?
Call to Action: Being that it is November, it seems fitting to start a gratitude challenge. For the next 2 weeks until Thanksgiving, instigate a daily gratitude practice. There are many ways to do a gratitude practice. I like to do mine out loud while I am walking outside (yeah, I probably look a little crazy, but that’s ok). A gratitude journal to write in daily works great. A daily prayer of just gratitude is another option. Find a gratitude practice that works for you and incorporate it into your meditation time for the next 2 weeks. Lets chase away the fear and hate in the world by flooding our lives with gratitude!
