Terror, violence, bullying, volcanoes, earthquakes, forest fires, floods, cancer, CO2, plastic waste… so many things can cause us fear. This remains unresolved, especially when we idolize the “good old days” or escape into the digital age.
Little Amanda ran in panic into the arms of her father when she saw a good-natured bernese mountain dog. Recently she had had a traumatic encounter with another dog, causing her to have a fear of all dogs. Her father took this time to teach and show her, while she was in the protection of his arms, that there was nothing to be scared of. In the arms of her father she slowly learnt how to overcome her trauma and fear. The father, played a central role in this important learning process for Amanda.
In the same way, our Father in heaven knows us very well. In his arms we can take refuge and find strength. In communion with him we learn to understand and overcome fears. In the Bible we find over 30 answers to overcome fear, and over 145 verses telling us to not fear. For example, Isaiah 41:10 “Do not be afraid, I am with you; do not yield, for I am your God. I strengthen you, I also help you, I hold you by the right hand of my righteousness”.
Fear is real. It will come our way throughout our lives, but we can find rest and strength in God. We can learn to live fearlessly in the Father’s arms.
“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Terror, Gewalt, Mobbing, Vulkane, Erdbeben, Waldbrände, Über schwemmungen, Krebs, CO2, PlastikAbfall… können uns Angst bereiten. Diese bleibt unbewältigt, wenn wir die gute alte Zeit vergöttern oder uns ins digitale Zeitalter flüchten.
Die kleine Amanda rannte panikartig vor dem gutmütigen Sennenhund in die Arme ihres Vaters. Erst kürzlich hatte sie eine traumatische Begegnung mit einem Hund gemacht. Nun lernt sie langsam in Vaters Armen, dieses Angsttrauma zu überwinden. In diesem wichtigen Lernprozess spielt der Vater die zentrale Rolle.
Unser Vater im Himmel kennt uns bestens. In seiner Nähe können wir alles ausbreiten, was uns bewegt. In der Gemeinschaft mit ihm lernen wir Ängste zu verstehen und zu überwinden. In der Bibel finden wir über 30 Antworten um Angst zu bewältigen, wie z.B. in Jesaja 41, 10 «Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin mit dir; weiche nicht, denn ich bin dein Gott. Ich stärke dich, ich helfe dir auch, ich halte dich durch die rechte Hand meiner Gerechtigkeit.»
«In der Welt habt ihr Angst; aber seid getrost ich habe die Welt überwunden.»
When it comes to working through family hurt, we can learn a lot through Joseph’s story. His brothers had a deep hate for him because they could see how much their father favoured him. To get revenge, his brothers originally planned to murder him, but instead decided to sell him as a slave and fake his death.
Like Joseph, injuries in one’s own family go very deep. Some even talk about it years later, as if it had been yesterday. Joseph never accepted the injustice of his brothers but he learned to forgive them. When he saw them years later, he did not immediately forgive them. However, since he understood that it is only God who can judge and this his plans are greater than any man’s mistakes, he told them “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.”
Through his brothers horrible plan, God used Joseph to save the people of Egypt and neighboring lands from a horrible famine. What man intended for evil, God used for good. As a reminder, Joseph called his first-born son Manasseh “the one who makes you forget”! With God’s help, you can learn to let go of the heavy, hard, and horrible. He will show you how to rejoice again and heal your heart and soul.
This week I challenge you to boldly discuss your traumas with God and let him show you how to forgive your perpetrators. God will take care of your heart, and will use your life’s traumas for good, if you let him. It may not be an easy or fast process, but it will be a freeing one.
Cleaning up the past is liberating!
“God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.”
said Joseph as he named his firstborn son Manasseh in Genesis 41:51
Where am I holding onto the past?
Side note: If you are struggling to make peace with the past, there are fantastic christian counsellors out there who will walk with you through your pain. There is nothing wrong with asking for help through any of life’s challenges. I encourage you to seek out God and their help, to make amends with your past.
«Meine Brüder haben mich im Stich gelassen und brutal schlecht behandelt! Das werde ich nie vergessen und ihnen nie vergeben!» Die Bibel erzählt von Josef. Seine Brüder verkauften ihn als Sklaven; so entging er dem Tod, denn sie hatten sogar Mordpläne.
Verletzungen in der eigenen Familie gehen sehr tief. Einige erzählen noch Jahre später davon, als ob es gestern gewesen wäre! Josef akzeptierte das Unrecht seiner Brüder nie. Weil er die moralischen Anweisungen Gottes kannte, sagte er ihnen später: «Ihr hattet Böses mit mir vor, aber Gott hat es zum Guten gewendet, denn er wollte auf diese Weise vielen Menschen das Leben retten!»
Besprechen Sie mutig mit dem Schöpfer auch Traumas und vergeben Sie den Tätern. Joseph nannte zur Erinnerung seinen Erstgeborenen Sohn Manasse, «der vergessen lässt»! – Selber lernte ich mit Gottes Hilfe und dem Baby meiner Freundin in den Armen, Schweres loszulassen und mich wieder von Herzen zu freuen. Die Vergangenheit zu bereinigen ist befreiend!
«Gott hat mich alle Not und sogar die Heimat vergessen lassen», sagte Josef und nannte den Erstgeborenen Manasse.
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