"One night I was flying home to Chicago from Orlando. It was beautiful outside. I could see for miles as we floated along at 36,000 feet. I was just starting to get a handle on my fear of flying, so I wasn't totally freaked out, but was still kinda scared. I had the sweaty palms. I looked out the window and thought, well, what's the worst that could happen right now?
Interestingly, rather than sending me into a tailspin, asking this question was remarkably freeing. I decided the worst thing that could happen is both engines drop off the plane at the same time and we crash. What would that be like? Well, it would be 10 minutes of terror and then I would see Jesus. If I have to die, that's really not a bad way to go. It's not painful. (The painful thing would be if I crashed and survived, but I wasn’t ready to think about that.) But 10 minutes of terror and then I see Jesus? If we all have to go somehow, I'll choose that door, thank you.
That was one of those transformative moments when the pieces start to fit together. I don't particularly want to die, but thinking about the worst that could happen led me to surrender my life to God in a new way. I said, “Lord, here's my life. If you want me to die in this plane, that’s okay, I’ll trust you. Oh, and God? Please take care of my wife and daughter.” What's the worst that could happen in your situation? As you think about your fear, worry, anxiety, concern, insecurity, or outright panic, what's actually true about it and what's the worst that could happen?"
The above is excerpted from my new book God Confidence: Cultivating Courageous Faith in Jesus Christ available today! You can order it here to help support Intersekt. Ordering it here will help support local bookstores. There is also a Kindle version available here and a Nook version here.
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