Have you experienced that awful pain in your stomach that comes from realizing you have lost sight of your child? There may not be a greater fear. As a matter of fact, I’ve read that a father’s greatest fear is that he won’t be able to provide for his family. But a mom’s greatest fear is that something will happen to one of her children. 

     Fear, itself is not a bad thing. Fear keeps us from thinking we’re superhuman and jumping off a tall building. It’s an emotion that provides a very necessary healthy dose of caution that we grow to respect as we get older and wiser. The older and wiser part is very important here, as very young children do not seem to have it. One weekend, we were camping out with our kids and grandkids near a lake. We had been very cautious to watch our youngest, the two-year old. But, my son, Ryan, walked away for a second and when he returned, my grandson was gone. A mom’s biggest fear! Of course, Ryan ran to the lake. He discovered a very happy toddler, fishing pole in hand and ready to get the catch of the day.  But, it took the rest of us a few hours to stop the tape that was playing in our heads of a possible sad outcome instead of the happy one that really happened. This was a vivid example is of the healthy kind of fear that we need to have and are charged with to teach our children. 

       But, it seems, many times, fear produces undo stress and anxiety over things we have little or no control over. The Bible actually has a lot to say about fear. According to one Bible text search, “fear not,” or the equivalent to that, is said 365 times, which means there’s a verse for every day of the year. Obviously God realizes that the same emotion can be both helpful and hurtful.

    As the mom in your family, your mind is filled with mental checklists that run continuously in your head about your children. Did the kids brush their teeth? Have they had a vegetable at any point this week? Did I remember to get that birthday present?  And then somewhere in the middle of all those smaller concerns, comes this one—what if I didn’t discover him by that lake early enough? Or what if someone kidnaps my child from our yard? Or should I let him go camping with the neighbors? Will they watch him like I do? The list could go on and on. 

    While it’s okay, and vitally important, for us moms to be protective over our children and watch out for their well being, it’s not okay to let fear paralyze us and prevent our kids from enjoying life. I remember when mine were little I found myself living another daily mental battle and that one was me wanting to totally trust in God’s care, but I still finding myself worried about my children’s safety. I made excuses saying I was just a natural worrier and, at times, was shocked to realize fear was robbing me of joy.  

      A scripture that really helped me then and continues to help me now as I watch my grandkids seemingly attempt to leap from tall buildings in a single bound is found in II Timothy 1:7. “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 

     I know timidity doesn’t seem like the same thing as fear, but it really is. When I was able to get a stronger hold on the spirit of power that God intended for me to have, I was able to release some of my fears. God does not intend for you or me to spend our lives void of joy and filled with apprehension about the future and that is what fear really is. Timidity and fear are both a result of a lack of confidence. It’s being scared of what the future holds. God wants us to trust in Him and hold on tightly to the power He offers us so that we feel confident in His plans for our future. 

     As your mom-life continues to unfold and your children are presented with opportunities to run and play, pay attention to the need for teaching them a healthy respect for fear and an unwavering confidence in a loving God.