What do you fear? What are the most fearful things for you? This could be anything, from something that you need to change, or something that needs to be talked about in a relationship. Something spiritual to something physical. What do you fear?
We celebrate Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit and Jesus breathed onto the disciples to be not afraid and go into the world and proclaim God and bring people to God. For most of us who have received confirmation, we have that same spirit that was given to the disciples to be not afraid and that God will be on our side, but I think sometimes we forget that because of the worry or anxiety that we face when needing to do something. We think we cannot do it for some reason, but remember you have God on your side. He is there to help you to be not afraid and do what you fear.
We all know this, but it is scary to get over that fear and just do it. Make the change or have that conversation. It is scary, but God is there to help you to do it. You are not alone, and he will give you the strength and the words that you need to do it. Just rely on God and not yourself.
Now, relying on God and not ourselves is very hard for all of us, that we need to trust someone we cannot talk to or see, and he will give us the strength? We like to do it ourselves, make it happen because we willed it and not someone else and let alone someone we cannot see or talk to. But trust me, it will be so much better and less scary to make that change or have that talk if we do because if we try to do it ourselves, we probably will not do it. It is hard for us to get over our fear and just do it. Sometimes we do it, and sometimes we do not.
This is why God gives the Holy Spirit to give us that fire to do what we need to do and not be afraid of what might happen. We will always be afraid of what might happen until we do it and find out that it is not that bad. It really is the fear of the unknown that really keeps us afraid. It is once we give that fear, uncertainty, and doubt to God that we can overcome anything.
Reminder that we, who are confirmed, can do anything that God wants, but we all are fearful for some reason or another. We do not like change or want to talk with that person or something. We do not like conflict within ourselves or with others, but God is there to overcome that fear, uncertainty, and doubt. He gives us the spirit to be with us forever and he will never leave us alone, especially when we abandon him. He will always be faithful to us, if only we are faithful to him.
Given on Pentecost Year A