Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 1348 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Paralyzed By Fear – Ask Gramps
Wisdom - the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.
Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1348 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday, we ponder some of the fundamental truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, this is not possible. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.
We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but we will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com
So the question for this week is…
“Hey Gramps, I know that we are living in extraordinary times, where the entire world seems like it has been tipped upside down, and shaken to the core. We are at war with a microscopic alien that has invaded the entire world and is disrupting our lives and the global economic system. I know in my mind and heart that God is fully in control, but how can I show that to others who seem to be so full of fear? What should I do personally, and as part of the worldwide church to bring hope to the hopeless?”
Paralyzed By Fear
We are living in unexpected times, which has plunged the entire world into chaos within a matter of a few weeks or months. While there is uncertainty, there has never been a better time in recent history for the worldwide church to rise up and make a massive difference in the world. It is times like these where the Spirit can take control of the hearts of humankind, regardless of their country or ethnicity.
There is growing uncertainty in the air, and it may get worse before it gets better. Even many Christ-followers are reeling with fear of the unknown, as if there is some tragedy looming on the horizon, just waiting for the most inopportune time to crush our Spirit and blind our faith.
Darkness surrounds many, just at the edge of the light, and fear clouds their vision messing with their minds. Maybe they have been paralyzed with fear and discouraged, experiencing unemployment, possible foreclosure, loneliness, or illness. It has come on so quickly and feeds their doubt and fear and can cause their hope to teeter near death. In their minds, the present paralyzed and the future completely unknown. Their perspective lost. Their confidence stripped naked.
You may have co-workers, friends, and family that ask, “Where is God?” “Why has HE forgotten us?” “HE must be punishing the world or be angry with us.”
As a Christ-follower, God gives us eyes to see past the fear into HIS next step for our future and the building of God’s kingdom on earth. So, despite the fear, look for the signs and opportunities. Opportunities to share love, to share resources, to share the hope that lives within you. Do what you can to help in tangible ways, and banish fear in your own life.
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Pray for God to reveal HIS transformation first in your own life, and then in the lives of others, He puts in your circle. Ask God to open your eyes to see the opportunities to show His love.
Consider every episode of fear within yourself and in the hearts of others as the first step in your next faith adventure. Contact other trusted believers and share your perspective to show love. Ask your fellow believers to join you in prayer for revelation and the courage to take whatever step God reveals. Let me leave you today with a passage that provides us with the pattern we must first establish within the church, and then we can reach a fearful world as Kingdom builders. Let us not waste this earth-shattering opportunity to change the world through God’s radical love. That love must start with each of us individually.
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Friday for another question on our Ask Gramps episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, when we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
If you would like to listen to any of the past 1347 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!