Going Good Blues

I'm pretty sure I could have one of the strangest fears of all fears... The fear of being too happy.

 

I love Reba. I'm not necessarily talking about Reba McEntire the country singer (even though she is one of the classiest women in entertainment.) But I love Reba, the sitcom. In one of the episodes, Reba perfectly described this very unique fear of mine... 'the going good blues.'

 

What are the 'going good blues'?

"The feeling we all get when things are going really good, but we're just waiting for things to go bad." ~Reba

Perhaps my fear isn't necessarily of being happy as much as what comes after the natural high of things going well, feeling blessed, and having fun. If I allow myself to feel joy, success, enjoyment, satisfaction, delight, contentment... Then sadness, grief, disappointment, dissatisfaction, and discontentment might soon follow.

That's really what I want to avoid.

However, I can tell you from experience that completely shutting off emotions in order to avoid the negative feelings is also not a fun place to be. It's lonely there and there's no satisfaction in it.

It is not the Lord's will that we live in fear, especially the fear of being happy. He wants us to celebrate the blessings He has given us and the salvation we have found in Him. Christ tells us in John, "I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)

So, in the words of Reba, "The key is not to worry about what could go wrong, but just enjoy all the things that are going right."

The Fear Trap

"The fear of man is a snare: but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected." ~Proverbs 29:25

Satan would love for me to live in fear... fear that money will run out before the end of the month... fear that loved ones will be taken away... fear that a strange noise outside the house at night is a lurking serial killer... fear that I'll never have my own family... fear of how something I said may have been received... fear that I've brought home parasitic insects from a client's house... fear that if I allow myself to be happy I will only end up in pain...

"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment." ~2 Timothy 1:7

Fear is a trap laid by a very skilled hunter. It holds me back from experiencing true joy and perfect peace. It leads me to poor judgment. And, I begin using anger to mask it.

If I truly TRUST God is who He says He is, there is no room for fear. He is my Father, my Friend, my Counselor, my Savior, my Protector, my Provider... my ALL. He will keep me safe. He will give me strength.

"Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." ~Isaiah 26:4