Fear is a Lie

Fear. Every one of us has felt it in one way or another. And if we aren’t careful, it will cripple us as mothers.

“Who among us can say that he or she has not felt fear? I know of no one who has been entirely spared. Some, of course, experience fear to a greater degree than do others. Some are able to rise above it quickly, but others are trapped and pulled down by it and even driven to defeat. We suffer from the fear of ridicule, the fear of failure, the fear of loneliness, the fear of ignorance. Some fear the present, some the future. Some carry the burden of sin and would give almost anything to unshackle themselves from those burdens but fear to change their lives. Let us recognize that fear comes not of God, but rather that this gnawing, destructive element comes from the adversary of truth and righteousness. Fear is the antithesis of faith. It is corrosive in its effects, even deadly.” 

–Gordon B. Hinckley

Fear is prevalent among us today—especially among mothers. Anytime I let fear enter my heart, it sneakily affects all aspects of my life. It is like a dark cloud that blocks out the sunlight. It blinds my mind and heart. It distracts me from truth. It distracts me from what matters most. It takes away from my joy in motherhood.

Of course Satan knows how destructive fear is, so you better believe he is having a hay day planting little seeds of doubt and fear into our minds and hearts. He is the “father of all lies”, and finds great satisfaction when we fall for his lies. He knows the POWERFUL force for GOOD mothers can have—and he wants to stop that. If he can bring down mothers, he can bring down the whole family.

We must stop falling for his lies. FEAR IS A LIE.

It is time for us to take action and fight back. How do we fight?

We fight with FAITH—a beautiful gift available to all. We combat lies with truth. Our trust and hope should be in God and nothing else. If we practice faith centered in the Lord Jesus Christ, our fears will be dispelled. All we have to do is give our very best effort as mothers and the Savior will make up for the rest.

“It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. Could not any of us say that if we had greater faith in God we could do better than we are now doing? There is no obstacle too great, no challenge too difficult, if we have faith. With faith we can rise above those negative elements in our lives that constantly pull us down.” –Gordon B. Hinckley

During my last pregnancy I really struggled. Every pregnancy is hard for me, but this one felt impossible. I was awfully sick and so tired day and night. My hormonal mind didn’t help the situation. Many nights were accompanied with tears and silent pleas to God for help. Trying to keep up with three little kids, selling a home, moving, buying a home, etc added to my load. Most days I didn’t know how I could get through the next.

One night I came across a passage of scripture that powerfully helped me during this time—and it is still helping me now.

In 1 Nephi 17:1-3, Nephi is talking about what he and his family experienced while traveling for many years.

Verse 1 says, “…And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.” Nephi is pretty much saying they had some major challenges during their journey—bearing a child in the wilderness does not sound like fun. Yikes.

Now let’s look at verse 2. “And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong,…and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.” There is a significant formula in this verse that we can apply to ourselves as mothers! First, notice the fact that Nephi takes the time to recognize the blessings during such a hard time. Second, even though they were living off of raw meat, the women were still able to nurse their babies, be strong, and not complain.

Did you catch that?! Even though they were living in incredibly difficult circumstances, the women were blessed in important ways. Can we not insert our circumstances into this verse? For example, “And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon me, that while I only had 2 hours of sleep the night before, I was still able to get the kids out the door for school, start the laundry, nurse a baby, run to the grocery store…and I was STRONG, …and I bore my “journeyings” without murmuring (verbally or mentally).”

As mothers there will be times when it literally seems impossible to be able to function based upon our circumstances (lack of sleep…need I say more?). BUT, God will not leave us alone. He will make up for what we can’t do ourselves.

Verse 3 is the most imperative of them all. “And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.”

What beautiful and NEEDED blessings for mothers! If we keep His commandments and give our best efforts, the Lord will NOURISH us, STRENGTHEN us, and PROVIDE a way for us. As I read this scripture passage that night (and for many nights to come), I felt the spirit gently fuel the fire of faith into my wavering heart. My eyes were opened to see that Heavenly Father was lovingly offering to take care of me in the same way a mother takes care of her child. I could turn to Him and trust in Him to take care of me. Oh how I needed that comforting reminder! I could do it—for I was not alone. Faith replaced my fears. I knew the Lord would nourish me, strengthen me, and provide a means for me in my pregnancy and as a mother. The impossible now felt possible. 

Even though the remainder of my pregnancy was still very difficult, I clung to my faith in God and His promises held true. He provided the way. Sometimes the outcomes of our faith might not be what we want or expect, but the Lord knows what is best for us. His outcomes for us will ultimately ALWAYS be better than the outcomes we think we want.

“We will all have disappointments and discouragements—that is part of life. But if we will have faith, our setbacks will be but a moment and success will come out of our seeming failures. Our Heavenly Father can accomplish miracles through each of us if we will but place our confidence and trust in Him. It is a great blessing to have an inner peace, to have an assurance, to have a spirit of serenity and inward calm during times of strife and struggle, during times of sorrow and reverses. It is soul-satisfying to know that God is at the helm, that He is mindful of His children, and that we can with full confidence place our trust in Him.” –Ezra Taft Benson

God IS at the helm. With His help, every fear we face can be replaced with unwavering faith. Instead of falling for the adversaries lies any longer, let us take a stand with faith. Let us find nourishment, strength, and a provided way as we trust in Him. If we do this, there is no limit to the good we will bring into our homes and the world at large.