Facing Fear

The other night, I had a conversation with my daughter that really got me thinking about fear — how we face it, how we respond to it, and what it says about us. My daughter is currently in Costa Rica on a mission trip, and she sent me a picture that sparked the whole discussion.

It was a picture of a bathroom — nothing special at first glance. But when you zoomed in, there it was: a huge spider sitting on the shower curtain. Now, when I say huge, I mean huge. The kind of spider that makes you question whether you even want to use the bathroom or just hold it until you’re back home.

My daughter told me that some of the girls on the trip were terrified. One girl was so scared at the sight of the spider that she cried. But there was another girl who saw it differently. She liked insects and animals. Instead of panicking, she calmly took the shower curtain off the railing, carried it outside, and shook the spider off. Just like that — no drama, no fear, no hesitation. The spider crawled off and went about its business.

We started talking about how two people can look at the same thing and have completely different reactions. One person sees a dangerous threat, while another sees an opportunity to appreciate something unusual and beautiful. The fear comes from an unhealthy expectation — the thought that the spider is going to bite, make you swell up, or even worse, lay eggs on your face! (Let’s be honest, we’ve all thought something like that at least once.)

But here’s the thing: God gave us dominion over all the creatures of the earth (Genesis 1:26). That spider might be big, but I’m bigger. I’m stronger. I can run faster. So why would I be afraid of something that I was created to have authority over?

Then we started talking about how we treat people the same way. We let other people — people who didn’t create us and have no authority over us — ruin our day with a single comment or action. A harsh word from a coworker, an unfair critique from a teacher, or an offhand remark from a friend can leave us feeling hurt or angry all day long. But just like the spider, we get to decide how to interpret the situation.

God designed us with the ability to define our experiences. We can decide to see challenges as opportunities instead of threats. We can choose to view an offense as a chance to grow or to show grace.

So today, think about that spider. Think about what you’re afraid of — whether it’s a difficult conversation, a personal challenge, or even just stepping out of your comfort zone. And then imagine the best possible scenario. Trust that God created you to handle it and that He designed you to thrive, not to live in fear.

Now It’s Your Turn:

1. Redefine Your Fear: Think about something you’ve been avoiding out of fear. Can you see it from a different perspective?

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3. Share: If you know another homeschooling family who could use this reminder, send them this article. Let’s face our fears together!