Over the summer, I have read 2 books that I have found very challenging and in places, very funny. This week, I would like to share some of the things I have learned from them. If you want to read further, the 2 books are
Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation – Adrian Plass
Cut to the chase – Lee Jackson, Baz Gascoyne & Friends
Paraskavedekatriaphobia Is not a word that I will attempt to pronounce and I suspect it will be thrown out by a few spam filters. It is not a word that I had seen before, but knowing what it means now, I would use it more in conversation if only I COULD pronounce it!
To enlighten you, Paraskavedekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday 13th. According to research, between 17 and 21 million Americans suffer from this and between 4 and 5 million Britons. Apparently, the reason that Friday 13th is unlucky is because there were 13 people in the room at the Last Supper, the 13th person entering the room being Judas who betrayed Jesus, and Jesus was crucified on a Friday, which we now know as Good Friday. Not a good Friday for Jesus, but a very Good Friday for us!
This set me thinking. We all have a phobia or superstitions of sorts somewhere in our lives, whether it is consciously or sub consciously. No doubt you will have seen the various TV documentaries where people seek to address or challenge their phobias by confronting them head on – some fail, some succeed. What impact does a phobia have on our lives? It is almost always negative. Usually, it is an irrational fear of although sometimes it is borne out of bitter experience, which continues to haunt the sufferer.
Some of us don’t want to discuss/declare our phobias as they may be very personal or we have locked them away never to be discussed. However, you can be sure that God knows all about them. Phobias hold us back and act as a barrier to God’s perfect love, as highlighted in the following verse.
‘For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and of self control’
2 Timothy 1 v 7 [ESV]
God’s love is a positive thing that sweeps all (including phobias and fears!) before it!
Today, can I ask you to think whether you have any phobias that come between you and God, and could you give them to God to lighten your load?
Have a good start to the week.
