I tend to freak out. Especially when it comes to anything technology related. The WIFI takes a second to refresh? I immediately think the router is dead and we are now going to have to be like 1800’s farmers. Admit it, you do it too. Maybe it’s not with tech, but maybe traffic is a bit too slow. Maybe you have to walk behind someone taking their sweet time in Target. Whatever it is, we have the tendency to freak out. A lot of times it’s due to our lack of patience, but what I’ve been learning recently is that impatience is only a small piece.

The biggest reason we freak out is that we have a lack of control.

I can’t control the magic of WIFI, seriously, it’s gotta be magic that lets us connect to the internet. You can’t control other drivers or slow pokes, and this puts us in the place of a lack of control.

I feel a lack of control in my life.

I think you feel the same.

I started this blog because I had a lack of control. I didn’t have an outlet to share what God was putting on my heart. In the duration of having this little space, so much has happened, and sometimes, I just want to freak out. There are moments where I’ve asked God, why? Why do you let these things happen? Why does it seem like the enemy is gaining ground? As much as we try to control the things in life, we end up freaking out. I’ll use another word for freak out, we fall to fear. The fear of losing what we have and not being able to achieve what we desire. Fear creeps in, tells us it’s all falling apart, that we’ll never make it. The coolest thing is, God has a plan, and he tells us all, don’t freak out.

We are commanded not to be afraid.

I love the story of Joshua, it’s such a fitting story that relates to me in so many ways. One of the best things about his story is that he has a lot of pressure. He has to lead his people as well as defend them from their enemies (which was basically everyone). In a moment where he is about to go up against a fortress that is known for being a formidable opponent, God calls him to fear not. It’s not a suggestion, it’s a command. “Fear not” is used over and over in scripture, not just in the old testament, but the new when Jesus walks the earth. This phrase is used because fear is often the root of every mountain we face.

Will I be able to scale the cliffs? Will I have the supplies I need? Will there be a guide? What’s on the other side of this mountain? What happens if there are obstacles?

Fear not.

Scripture says that faith moves mountains. God knows all the questions, and he knows the answers. He looks at us in our lack of control, in the moments we are freaking out, and tells us, I got this. Don’t be afraid of the mountain, God can see everything you don’t know, and all he asks is that you trust him. We can’t live in fear, so we need to let go of this desperate need for control in our lives. We are commanded to fear not, so live without fear.

Take each battle one step at a time, and trust Christ.

I couldn’t just say let go of fear and leave it at that, I mean that would be the worst. I struggle with anxiety, so when I feel these feelings of panic and stress, I have to stop and take a breath. I’ve started running, and when you start, you don’t start with a marathon. You have to take it a mile at a time. When it comes to the battles in life, we can’t freak out and crumble underneath the pressure, we have to take it a step at a time. I’m currently unemployed, and I’m pretty freaked out by that. What I have to do is each day, apply to jobs. Life is all about a process, I can’t freak out, because if I do, I stop taking the steps I need to take.

Whatever you’re facing, you need to take one step at a time. In your journey you have to trust God that whatever comes next, he’s got it. Don’t let fear hold you back from moving forward. The enemy would love for you to give up. He would love for you to give up the job search, give up on your marriage, give up on following Christ. Don’t let him win. Don’t let Satan destroy what God wants to do in your life.

You were made for more. Fear is not a safe place, fear will only hold you back from the journey God is taking you on.

I don’t know what you might be facing. Some messed up stuff can happen to us and the people around us, I hope you know that no matter what is happening, you don’t have to be afraid. I’ve been getting pretty open and vulnerable the past couple of weeks. It’s been a wild season for myself and my dearest Danielle, there have been moments where I have freaked out. I burned my hand with coffee and I lost it, it was like a dam had burst open and my emotions just went all over the place. Where did that come from? I felt like I haven’t had control on the circumstances around me, and I wasn’t able to control the coffee from not burning me. Sounds silly, but it made me stop and ask God to help me let go of this control I’ve been clinging to. I can’t control what happens around me, but I can control what I do in those situations. I can freak out and let the enemy win when he says I’m not enough, or I can let go and trust that despite my fear, God has me in his hands.

God’s got you, so don’t freak out.

-Joshua Thomas

About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a writer by day and superhero by night. When he’s not writing and crimefighting, you can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. The young writer doesn’t fully know what he’s doing, but is enjoying the journey of it all. You can tweet memes at him on Twitter @joshua_thomas__ or follow his hipster photos and Jack Kerouac musings on Instagram @joshua_thomas__