What are You Afraid of?

Fearless...I just recently got a copy of Max Lucado's latest book Fearless. What a great read. In Matthew (in the Bible) 8:26, Jesus says, "Why are you afraid?" Lucado jumps right into this question and looks at all the reasons we deal with fear. From not mattering to not being able to protect your kids to not knowing the future to being afraid of what comes after this life. Lucado tackles it all.

He points out that Jesus takes our fears seriously and that the one statement he made more than any other was, "don't be afraid." I find it interesting that Jesus spent a good amount of time saying that. I know I deal with and have dealt with fear in my life. Growing up I was afraid of the dark. As an adult I have dealt with fear of not being able to protect my kids.  Fear can have a snowball effect on us and bring us to our knees.

In the book Lucado mentions that "Fear itself is not a sin. But it can lead to sin." "Fear may fill our world, but it doesn't have to fill our hearts. It will knock on the door. Just don't invite in in for dinner, and for heaven's sake don't offer it a bed for the night." I have always enjoyed how he is able to take a concept and personalize it. He does so with fear.

In the chapter on kids he recommends to pray over your kids regularly, especially when you fear you can't protect them. "When you send them off for the day, do so with a blessing. When you tell them goodnight, cover them in prayer. Is your daughter stumped by geography homework? Pray with her about it." A simple concept, but sometimes very difficult to keep at. Pray! I need to pray more for my kids.

I recommend you pick this one up. It's an easy and enjoyable read with great stories that hit the heart. There is also a discussion guide at the back of the book for every chapter. This will help you dig deeper on the concept and could be a great idea for a group read and discussion time.