Life Lessons from Frozen

"Its funny how some distance can make everything seem small; and the fear that once controlled me can't get to me at all!" - Idina Menzel

But what is REALLY funny is the fact that this song-quote from the widely popular Disney film, "Frozen" (2013), popped into my head as I sat down to write today. I'm always astounded at what God wants me to write; this one more than most. As it snows outside, its a reminder of Elsa's predicament: estranged on that mountaintop, desperately trying to flee her pursuers and find refuge in herself.

But don't we do this so often? We remove ourselves from our world, from our distractions, and all too often from our God as well. We do this to try and escape the fear, and for a while, it helps. By removing ourselves from all interaction with everything, our fear seems small because it cannot reach us. As we make for ourselves walls, and build up our defenses, we find that the items that cause our fear and help it to manafest itself in our lives cannot infiltrate our fortress.

What we do NOT realize is that the fear isn't really gone, it's only in a different form. Instead of confronting us in our affliction, and causing us worry and stress, our fear now stems from the inside. We doubt the truthfulness of everything, until nothing seems real. We are so confident that our fear is gone, and so fearful that our fear will reach out and touch us again, that we become blind to the fact that our fear, is indeed, right behind us.

People will reach out to help us. They confront our fortress, not with seige weapons, but bearing gifts of love, mercy, and grace. They offer relief, the comfort of a friend, and yet, we are FEARFUL of their help! As if the comfort extended to them is laced with grief and dread. Do you see the backwards logic? Fear is, arguably, the number one thing that blinds us in today's society. When we fear, and turn to solitude and reclusiveness, fear overtakes and finally has dominion over our life, without our knowledge of it!

I see this all the time. I often talk to people about how much I love to just sit and think and be still. I get responses saying that when they sit still long enough to think, they are filled with sadness and dread. They distract themselves with friends, school, Netflix; whatever they can do to keep the revealing silence at bay. I see lives being torn apart, from inside out, while they try and hide from themselves. Now that they have contained their fear in their fortress, they cannot seem to escape the walls they oh so readily built up. Their own mind becomes a game of horror-movie hide and seek; if the fear finds you, its all over.

The constant doubt, dread, fearfulness, and misery of never experiencing relief plague those around us! I see lives, changed radically by Jesus's awesome healing, fearful. I see souls trapped in the chains Jesus set them free from, because they walked back into that jail cell and manacled themselves. Fear led them in there, by the hand, reassuring them the entire way that this cell would rid them of the very fear that guided them to the prison! Take off the blinders! Recognize that the very voice that calls out your name, for you to turn around, is that of JESUS! He would never ask you to trap yourself in fear's grasp, He wants to see you set free! Jesus does not lead you into solitude, but into the confidence of the believers around you! The Body of Christ is mutualistic; we all benefit from each other; we're here for whatever others may be facing. 

Being Jesus to our world sometimes means traversing the dark dungeons of another's fortress. In fear the walls were built, and Fear creeps these halls, looking for its next victim. Be wary, and be filled with God's Light, for those who are weak and try to help only fall to Fear's dominion themselves. Take up your sword, believer, and let God lead you through the cavernous expanses. Fear grips so many in our world, when instead Jesus could be embracing them!

When I sit still and think, I grow happy and thankful. When those filled with fear sit and think, they grow even more fearful and terrified at those things around them. Overthinking and understating, these people suffer worst. They overthink everything they do, doubtful and fearful of consequences - good or bad. They understate what they go through for fear that someone might come and help; and in the process, see the worst of themselves. 

"There's an old man living in the back of your woods tonight;
you forgot he was even there, but you've never slipped his mind.
He's living off of scraps of you you never knew you left behind,
and when the sun goes down, he rises with a smile.
He's waiting on the night to fall.
...
He knows you have the answers, but Truth lies dusty on your shelves,
and the sword that you could slay him with? It's become an ornament and nothing else.
You could put him back down in his hole in the ground, but he knows you never will!
He's been around so long, you've got used to the smell!
He's waiting on the night to fall!" - Casting Crowns

This song always gives me chills because of its unnerving accuracy. Fear is that old man; and he DOES wait for the night to fall. We don't realize he's plaguing us because his putresence has permeated our soul for so long that we accept his presence as NORMAL! 

If you are unsettled by being alone with your thoughts, seek out Jesus. As we dwell on morally excellent things we will be uplifted! Fear grips many of us, even those that know Jesus well. Don't let truth - God's word - become dusty and don't let your sword - prayer and worship - become an ornament only pulled out for show on a Sunday morning. Pursue Jesus, flee fear. Your enemy is fear, but fear's enemy is NOT you. You are its host, so be indwelt by a higher, more transcendent power: God. And filled with Jesus, no room is left in your holy tabernacle, your heart. And when we have been filled with Jesus, we can #LiveItLikeJesus better.