Today I had unwanted visitors named Fear and Anxiety.
I lament that if I genuinely believed that God is taking care of me, then why do I fear? Why do constant what-if scenarios play out like a horror film in my mind? (Reminder: Live in the present.)
It can be a continuous battle to trust God. That’s why we are to put on the armor of God each day. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
June 3 is the feast of St. Charles Lwanga and the Companion Ugandan Martyrs who were burned to death in 1885-1887 for their faith because they would not obey the king’s orders.
Most of us will not have to endure being burned to death or die for our faith like the Ugandans, but what “fires” of life do we endure?
The priest at church, when preaching about the martyrs, listed a few common “fires” people deal with and lastly mentioned, “the fire of fear”. Whoa, it was like he was speaking right to me. How many of us burn with the fire of fear, or any other “fire” in our lives, all too long and all too often?
I later experienced a startling image. The devil laughing smugly. Yup, he was ecstatic because he succeeded in getting me to worry. It definitely stole my peace and any iota of joy I might have had. Exactly what he wants.
It was as if my spiritual eyes were opened more profoundly. It was extremely unsettling to see the devil satisfied, smug and laughing at a follower of Christ, rather than seeing the loving face of Jesus, pleased that I was trusting and resisting no matter what fire I was enduring! Talk about scary!
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:7-8)
Maybe sometimes we forget the submit to God part.
It’s ok to be afraid, it’s how we handle it that counts. We need to resist the devil and he will flee no matter what he is throwing at us. To not partake in the fear and his temptations so that instead, we can see the face of Jesus looking at us with love and approval.
Like St. Charles Lwanga and the over 20 martyrs who were loyal to their faith until the end, we can learn from and be inspired by the people who have gone before us. Maybe this feast happened on just the right day to awaken me. Little did the martyrs know, their faith would positively affect people many generations later!
What fires are burning in your life right now that you can decide to extinguish today? Let’s go and put the devil to shame with faith and trust in God as our fire hose. No fire rages so great that God cannot put it out.
Binding Prayer by Father Chad Ripperger, Priest and Exorcist:
Spirit of (fear, anxiety, illness (name it), depression etc.) I bind you in the Name of Jesus, by the power of the most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Michael the Archangel, the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul and all of the saints, and I command you to leave (your name) and go to the foot of the Holy Cross to receive your sentence, in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.