Fear. It's an emotion I know well. 

Fear of the future. 

Fear of War. 

Fear of financial ruin.

Fear of sickness.

Fear of being forgotten. 

Fear of people's opinions. 

Fear of being unfruitful in ministry. 

Fear of being misunderstood.

Fear of misrepresenting God’s Word. 

Fear of not meeting expectations. 

(And yes, I'll even admit to having my fair share of Fear of Missing Out!) 

As you are well aware, fear is not unique to global women! 

Fear is a great leveler, a foe that seems to haunt all that walk this Earth. 

Were we created to fear? Made to quiver and squirm under circumstances outside our control? 

I am challenged by this story in chapter five of Mark’s gospel, where we read of a fear brought on by an unexpected catalyst. 

An unlikely miracle. 

A freeing act of mercy. 

An outworking of God's abundant grace to a man in desperate need of just that. 

When the people saw the demon possessed man, walking around, free and in his right mind, they were afraid. 

Not relieved or thankful or reflective. 

It's easy, sitting here in my current season, Bible in one hand and coffee in the other, to judge these ones who feared in the face of the transforming touch of Jesus. Feared the radical outpouring and change it brought in the lives of those around Him. 

But what of me? 

Do I welcome the transformational change the Holy Spirit offers in my daily life (Romans 12:2)? 

Am I leery of the effect His transforming power will have on my comfort, my reputation, my ministry, or my relationships? 

Oh God, may my heart be so aligned with Yours that Your will becomes my desire, regardless of how radically it shakes up my "normal"! May I resist the urge to fear losing perceived control, fearing only You and recognizing Your sovereignty in every corner of my life and my moments. 

And in the end, knowing Who is standing with me, what do I really have to fear?