Is fear causing you to hide from somebody? A boss? A husband or wife? A touchy co-worker? A strong-willed child? God called to Adam, "Where are you?" He replied, "I hid. I was afraid" - and we've all been hiding ever since! We hide behind forced smiles, agreeable words we don't mean, social rituals we detest. Or worse - we hide behind things we do believe but don't express because we're afraid of what people might think - like the pain of confronting someone and the emotional energy we'll have to invest in cleaning up afterwards.

 

Short-term it may seem easier to act as if things don't bother you, or pretend to agree when in reality you disagree. But long-term it doesn't work. Why?  Because peace isn't the absence of discord. When you remain silent in order to avoid confrontation, you end up avoiding something more important - intimacy. For example, when you don't speak up on the job because you fear making waves, you end up resentful, alienated from your fellow-workers and maybe losing a chance to make things better. When you're afraid to confront your marriage partner (and this should be done in love, not anger) you end up emotionally distant. When you refuse to share your faith with others because you're afraid of being ridiculed, you lose an opportunity to offer hope to those who need it the most. So today confront your fears, come out of hiding and start living!