Fear

​I would like to ask you a question. What are you afraid of? Instantly a little voice inside your head might be telling you things. You could be thinking I'm not afraid of anything or I'm afraid of everything. I hear many things from many different people; some are afraid of getting laid off work, while others are afraid of an illness or death in the family.

​Everything that we are afraid of has one thing in common: fear of the unknown and fear of change. If you have a fear of the dark, you fear not knowing what is there that you can't see. If you are afraid of moving, you fear not knowing what is going to happen or what it will be like when you get there. When I was hired on at New Beginnings, I was terrified. I knew I would have to change so many things, including my ride to work. What if I got lost on my way there? My coworkers would be different. What if they didn't like me. My work and purpose would be different. What if I couldn't meet those goals and I let everybody down? This was all a change for me and I was afraid.

​We need to look at why we are afraid of change and what God says about it. Did you notice that every single fear that I had about starting a new job involved something bad happening? Getting lost and letting people down were preparing me for the worst. I knew all these bad things could happen but I still went for the job anyway. Why? I wanted to give myself and everybody involved the chance for something better. I wanted to make a difference. I didn't want to do this just for me or just for my family but the bigger picture and for God's Glory. I knew that I couldn't make things better by staying where I was. It was time for me to start a new chapter in my life. The same is true with the mothers and babies at New Beginnings; in essence, the mothers are starting an entirely new life full of what ifs. Change is tough, but the mothers at New Beginnings can rest assured that they have the full support of staff and the other moms residing in the program. Not only do the mothers have our support, but they have the love of their Lord!

​So what does God say about my fear of change and the unknown? Psalms 115:11 says "You who fear him, trust in the Lord-he is their help and shield." Isaiah 41:10 says "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

​I know that my fear was sinful. I did not trust the Lord like I should. I also knew that the Lord has promised to be there for me. He will be there for me and protect me and provide for me. Ultimately, I had faith. I trusted God in the end that things would work for His glory.

Change was hard and always is difficult for me and many others. We need to make those changes anyway. This is how we grow and make things better. We need to trust God that he will guide us and protect us in everything that we do.


"in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?" - Psalms 56:11

Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at NewBeginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

---