Confident and Fearless

30 Mar Confident and Fearless

Read Psalm 112(NLT)
Thought for the Day: With God, I am confident and fearless!

Edwin Friedman, a family therapist, served in Washington DC for nearly forty years. During his career, Friedman helped establish the idea of a “non-anxious presence.” Friedman believed that any organized system (whether a family, church, or workplace) is vulnerable to chaos without an individual’s ability to be self-defined and assertive even during the most difficult times. Think about it: how often are the conflicts in our lives made worse simply because someone (including us) was either unwilling or unable to remain calm?

As brilliant as Friedman’s concept is, it was hardly his own. In addition to being a family therapist, he was also a rabbi and, as such, was extremely familiar with the words of the Psalms. Take a look at Psalm 112 (verses 6-8) where we quickly see that it perfectly describes a “non-anxious presence”:

“Such people will not be overcome by evil.
Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
They do not fear bad news;
they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
They are confident and fearless
and can face their foes triumphantly.”

We all face times when life seems to make no sense. Any time we are unable to stay self-defined, calm, or assertive, let’s remember the words of this Psalm. If we allow ourselves to be defined by our possessions, titles, and reputation, we are vulnerable to bad news. Instead, we can learn to trust God, knowing He will care for us. Going through each day, let’s be honest at the times we fail to be a “non-anxious presence”. Then we can be confident and fearless by trusting God!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David