The fear of loss is one of the things I’ve struggled with most throughout my life.
Not because I’ve lost anyone traumatically, not because of some event that made me afraid it was going to happen again.
But because the things that I, and probably many others, value most are the things that bring security, like friends, family, jobs, etc. and I’m afraid of what it would look like to have to do life without them.
Stating the Obvious
Obviously, no one wants to lose their friends, family, job security, home or anything that brings us security, but when it goes to an unhealthy level, it becomes more of a trust issue.
For example, I may not want anything to happen to my husband or to have to raise my kids alone, but when it becomes a fear that every time he leaves the house and I don’t hear from him right away, I assume the worst and panic, I am starting to put my reliance and my hope on my husband, instead of God and trusting that God will protect him.
In other words, I’m holding on to the blessing (my husband) tighter than the One who gives the blessing (God).
It can be a really hard thing to grasp, because as humans, we are programmed to react and cling to the things we can see, hear, and interact with most. So, we naturally hold on to the things that are right in front of us.
We identify ourselves as a wife or a husband and a parent, because we are surrounded by our spouse and kids.
We call ourselves teachers, businesspeople, stay-at-home parents, because that’s what we deal with on a daily basis.
But what if our lives were so centered around God’s love, so engulfed in His presence and so surrendered to His promises and truth, that the first thing that came out of our mouths was that we are children of God. And that we may be blessed with a beautiful life, a wonderful spouse and incredible children, but they are nothing compared to the amazing God we serve?
Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and my kids more than anything else, but Jesus still has the first of my heart and that’s how it should be.
God Tests Abraham
If you’ve ever read through Genesis 22, you’ll be familiar with this story. This is where God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, whom he waited years and years to have, to God, with no other explanation other than He wanted him to be obedient.
Can you even imagine the things that must’ve been going through Abraham’s mind?
I would’ve had a lot of trouble not challenging God on this.
How could this be?
How could you ask me to do such a thing?
But instead, Abraham obeyed. He took his son, a pile of wood and two servants and hiked up the mountain. He left the servants behind and took Isaac to the top of the mountain where God told him to go and bound him and laid him on the wood. As he raised his hand to strike his son, God stopped him.
"And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.'" GENESIS 22:12 NKJV
Can you even imagine the relief that Abraham must’ve felt? Can you even imagine the joy when he saw the ram caught in the bushes that God provided as a replacement sacrifice.
See, God didn’t want Abraham to kill his son, but He wanted to see how far Abraham’s faith would go.
He wanted to see if Abraham was more in love with the blessing (his son) or the One who gives the blessing (God).
God Allows Satan to Test Job
In another example in the book of Job, God allowed Satan to tempt Job to test his love for God.
In chapter 1, verse 8, God asked Satan if he considered Job and how blameless and upright of a man he was. And Satan basically answers God by saying that obviously Job loves God because of the blessings that God has given him. But, if God allowed Satan to take away his blessings, surely he would curse God.
"Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!' And the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.'" JOB 1:8-12 NKJV
Satan goes on to attack Job’s entire world, from his wealth and possessions, to his family and eventually his own health. Despite his friends claiming that Job must’ve done something wrong, despite his wife telling him to curse God and die, Job never gave in. He trusted God through it all because he was more focused on God than the things God had given him.
Fear is A Lack of Faith
Just like many other forms of fear, the fear of loss is a lack of faith. A lack of trust that God is in control and that His will should go above all else.
When we consider it that way, the spirit of any kind of fear has no place in our lives. We should run from fear and lean on Jesus.
So how do we do that?
- Start with Jesus. Constantly refocus yourself, if that’s what it takes, on the One who is always in control and always watching over you.
- Remind yourself daily, especially when those fears creep up, that God wants what is best for you, so if something doesn’t happen the way you think it should, trust that it wasn’t what was best for you.
- Lean on His understanding and not your own. He knows the future, we don’t. Know that He has a plan that will go above and beyond any agenda we could create.
- Remember that God works through open AND closed doors. Sometimes the things we think we lose are God protecting us from something we can’t see, or releasing us from one situation to give us a better one.
- Fall more in love with the One who gives the blessings than the blessings He gives.
When we learn to trust God with EVERYTHING, and prioritize Him above all else, those fears start to disappear. God knows us. He knew us when He created us in the womb. He knew every facet of our personalities, our priorities, and the fears that we would face before we were even born.
He knows the things that are near and dear to our hearts. He knows what would happen if we lost those things. Our job is to trust in the One who knows everything about us with the things that we are afraid of losing because He is the only one who can protect them better than even we can.
