"Fear is worry’s big brother."

A thought by Max Lucado, from his book, Begin Again (p. 13). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Yes it is.

Max says, "If worry is a burlap bag, fear is a trunk of concrete. It wouldn’t budge."

He goes on, "How remarkable that Jesus felt such fear. But how kind that he told us about it. We tend to do the opposite. Gloss over our fears. Cover them up. Keep our sweaty palms in our pockets, our nausea and dry mouths a secret. Not so with Jesus. We see no mask of strength. But we do hear a request for strength.

"'Father, if you are willing, take away this cup of suffering.' The first one to hear his fear is his Father. He could have gone to his mother. He could have confided in his disciples. He could have assembled a prayer meeting. All would have been appropriate, but none were his priority. He went first to his Father.

"Oh, how we tend to go everywhere else. First to the bar, to the counselor, to the self-help book, or to the friend next door. Not Jesus. The first one to hear his fear was his Father in heaven."

Max continues, "A millennium earlier David was urging the fear-filled to do the same. “I will fear no evil.” How could David make such a claim? Because he knew where to look. 'You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me' (Ps. 23:4 NKJV)

"Rather than turn to the other sheep, David turned to the Shepherd. Rather than stare at the problems, he stared at the rod and staff. Because he knew where to look, David was able to say, 'I will fear no evil.'

"How did Jesus endure the terror of the crucifixion? He went first to the Father with his fears. He modeled the words of Psalm 56:3: 'When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you' (NLT)."

Max then says, "Do the same with yours. Don’t avoid life’s Gardens of Gethsemane. Enter them. Just don’t enter them alone. And while there, be honest. Pounding the ground is permitted. Tears are allowed. And if you sweat blood, you won’t be the first. Do what Jesus did; open your heart."

And that is what we need to do and can do, isn't it?

Yes, yes!

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