Addressing fear II

Taking risks:

To address fear, you have to shift your identity -- who you are; your significance, importance, value -- and base it on God's glory -- our recognizing and displaying His infinite worth -- and His assessment - i.e. your true identity is based first on who God is and then on His assessment of you, not on the assessment of others or even, and sometimes especially, your own self-assessment. 

Who's assessment carries more weight, God or others -- including your own self-assessment? If God is for you, who can be against you?

If your assessment - by the greatest Being in the universe - is such that He made an infinite sacrifice to demonstrate how much He loves (values) you, what does that say of your true worth, vs the opinion of others or even your own? Whose opinion is more accurate and carries greater weight, yours or Gods?

We are designed to live for the honor and glory of God, ¹not to protect ourselves - physically or emotionally, i.e. our purpose is to uphold God's honor, not our own. In so doing, God says he will honor (exalt) us.

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” - Jesus, Luk 14:11

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted..." – Jesus, Mat 23:12  

In truth, God has already honored us by giving us everything needed to restore us fully to Himself i.e. he has given us his eternally loved Son. 

Our value is also further demonstrated in His empowering us to put on display His worth or value to others. The most important thing we can do is bring to others the most important "thing" - i.e. our greatest worth is demonstrated in bringing an awareness of God and His infinite worth to others. Why? Because there is no one or no thing more significant than God. No one else can give us and others what we need most. He is his own source of life, nothing else is. Everything depends on God. He alone is everlasting. He depends on nothing other than Himself. He is the only self-existent being, the "I AM." And he offers to us that very life that makes Him self-sufficient. 

If our conduct says to others God is most important to us, we, by this very conduct, are saying He is most important to them as well. How we live will either show He is or isn't most important and therefore most worthy (or not worthy when we don't display Him) of the trust and commitment of others, not just our own. 

Knowing that God honors and exalts us when we honor him is the ²hope we are called to. When we take hold of this, there is no longer room for fear. The focus is no longer on ourselves but on Him, where it rightly and truly belongs. 

For more on how our glory is in bringing God glory click here. 
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¹I am not saying we don't use common sense and come in out of the rain when it's raining or avoid walking into traffic. I am saying if we are faced with the choice between doing something solely to protect ourselves or to honor God; we are to choose the latter. If we are not acting recklessly, God will protect us. Sometimes He even protects us when we are. 

²Desiring honor is not wrong. From whom do we seek and legitimately, it is our challenge.