"Hey Google, Tacos Near Me."

5/5/2021

Written By: Debi Pierson

MDWK Motivation Reader, I didn’t set out to write these words for you. I wrote this in a text (insert saucer-eye emoji) to a friend struggling with fear and anxiety and depression and the constant feeling of not being enough. Maybe you’re like my friend and carry this kind of weight too. Maybe ghosts of your childhood still make you feel like a scared child too. Maybe this is for you too, friend.

I know you’re living scared and I wish I could take that away. I can’t. I’ve mistakenly tried to ease your fears and fill all your gaps. I can’t. And I’m definitely not the spiritual giant you make me out to be.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” -2 Timothy 1:17

You don’t “need church” in the way you think you do. Church won’t fix you. You need God. This fear you feel is more of an absence. This fear is really a hole, a longing for, and deep-seated desire for HIM. Do you think I memorized that verse from 2 Timothy? No. As much as we’ve always been encouraged to commit scripture to heart, I don’t. Not intentionally, anyway. I do my best to give God time every day in study and prayer. You claim there isn’t a point to you reading the Bible, but I don’t always understand what I read in scripture or listen to on my app either. Nonetheless, I put in the time and God honors my efforts by giving me back just enough pieces of what I’ve learned when I need it. I didn’t dig around in the concordance of my Bible--I googled, “Spirit of fear”, because those are the words God gave me when I read your text. I found what I was looking for the same way we find anything else we sorta kinda know, but don’t really know. “Hey google, tacos near me”. Ask and ye shall receive. (That’s Mathew 7:7 for the record.) And THAT is God working IN me and when I can share it, it is Him working through me. I’m nobody special in the world’s eyes when it comes to being a spiritual leader. I’m just willing to put in some time and have faith that He’ll reward my efforts. And He ALWAYS does.

When you’re fearful, that’s not God’s doing. If you had a nickel for every sermon you’ve ever heard about not worrying, well… You wouldn’t have to worry about money. Fear and worry are Satan’s strongest foothold in your life. He knows your weaknesses and he loves keeping you in this tortured state. The devil knows I pray for you. He sees your potential to live a contented, fulfilling life the same as I do and he doesn’t want it for you. You feel so far from being at peace, but you’re not. With work and a willingness to accept God’s leading for your life, you can turn this corner and enjoy your life (WHATEVER that looks like) because you’re surrounded by love and filling yourself, that aforementioned hole, with the source of Love.

I’m not saying that any of this is easy. I’m not suggesting that there is a God switch you can flip. What I’m saying is that you’ve half-heartedly tried many other things, including showing up at church every Sunday and doing all the church-y things and none of it works any better than a band-aid on a giant gash. You’ve done all the surface work, yet never really believed you could have a relationship with God. You don’t seek His wisdom or His leading. You treat Him like a lucky charm or superstition. Mostly, you just want Him to protect the people you love and maybe

allow you to earn a little more money for a little more stuff. And safety and stuff don’t even scratch the surface of what God has to offer us. Honestly, it isn’t even what He promises us.

You had an earthly dad, posted up on a bar stool, that was mostly good for $20 bucks when you wanted it, but you have a Heavenly Father, on an accessible throne, that wants to meet your NEEDS. He wants you to feel unconditionally loved and restored. He wants you to come to Him with all your problems and questions and desires and He wants you to trust that His plan involves the long game of eternity, not the short game of immediate satisfaction or even safety.

Those hangups and habits we disagree about are merely bandaids you’re applying to your life-long wounds. Enough already. You know a Healer. You know a Savior. You have a good Father. You also have a good family that loves you, needs you, and desires for you to be a healthy, strong leader. I believe you can be that. If you’re not sure how, ask your Father’s advice. If you need to, ask google. “Hey google, Ask God for wisdom.”

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” -James 1:5