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Focus on the Family Broadcast

Help Your Young Adult Be Brave

Help Your Young Adult Be Brave

In a discussion based on her book Live Fearless, Sadie Robertson reflects on the fears and anxiety she experienced while growing up, and how she overcame that by learning to live confidently in God's promises. She describes how parents can help their young adults overcome phobias and how we can all step out in faith even when we're afraid.
Original Air Date: September 3, 2019

Opening:

John Fuller: So, it’s late at night, and you’re just 5 years old. And you’re in bed, and you’re pretty sure that the dark shape in the corner of your bedroom is really a monster. And you’re so scared, you can’t move, and you are just clutching the blanket, hoping nothing happens. Now, that’s way back when, but maybe still today, you have some paralyzing fear. There’s something that’s going on, and you can’t quite figure it out, but you’re pretty sure it’s bad. Today on Focus on the Family, we’re going to hear from a lively young lady who used to live in constant fear and anxiety. And she’s going to share how she learned to live a free, brave life in Jesus Christ. Your host is Focus president and author Jim Daly. And I’m John Fuller.

Jim Daly: You know, John, I’m not a person that has been given anxiety and fear. And yet I can remember when Dr. Dobson asked me to – to consider being the president of Focus on the Family. That gripped me with fear because I didn’t have that kind of background, looking back at my own dysfunctional family.

I remember the night before the installation service here at Focus on the Family I stayed up all night wrestling with the Lord, really thinking I’d go in the next morning and resign and, uh – because I just felt like I was not equipped. And still don’t feel equipped. You know, the Lord steps in and fills in those gaps. And, uh, I just remember, through the night, talking to the Lord. And I remember him saying to my heart, “It’s not about you.” Isn’t that funny? You’re sitting there thinking, “Lord, I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I don’t want to do this, I’m going to resign,” and then the phrase that entered my heart was, “It’s not about you. Trust me.” Isn’t that great? That’s how the Lord can show up in our lives. And today, we want to talk about anxiety and fear and where that comes from and how to deal with it, especially as a believer. I mean, God gives us a spirit of not fear, but one of a sound mind. I thinkIsaiah 43:1 says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you” – this is a beautiful passage – “I have called you by name. You are mine.” Isn’t that awesome? If you’re in that spot, I want you to lean in today because this program is for you.

John: Yeah, That really is a wonderful promise from the Scriptures. And, uh, we’re joined today, by the way, I think we have about 30 of our Focus interns here. It’s always a privilege to have, uh, a breath of fresh air during the summertime.

Jim: (Laughter) That’s for sure.

John: And, uh, our guest is Sadie Robertson. She is a speaker, author and TV star, best known for being on the show with her family called Duck Dynasty or, perhaps, Jim, uh, the cover girl for the relaunch of Focus on the Family’s Brio Magazine.

 Body:

Jim: Sadie, welcome back to Focus.

Sadie Robertson: Thank you. Good to be here.

Jim: First of all, just, uh, thank you for your willingness to share these fears. I think a lot of people today live with anxiety. There’s so much coming at us, generally, all the time, that what we eat will kill us, what we drive will kill us, where we go will kill – I mean, it’s just nothing but kind of darkness. It can grip us. And I know – and I want to be mindful of some people who are listening that might find it hard to walk out the door every day because fear has gripped them in that way. So, describe for us kind of your beginning of fear and how it gripped your little soul at a young age.

Sadie: Yeah, it’s very real. And I definitely think there are a lot of people who fear even walking out the house. Um, but for me, you know, for as long as I can remember, I was always more of, like, an anxious person. Um, I was always just an over-thinker. Like, I thought through every scenario. And every place I walked into, I would, like – I could tell you the worst scenario. I mean, it would be totally irrational.

Jim: So, you’d always go to the worst thing.

Sadie: But I would always go to the worst-case scenario. Like, if I was going to eat with you in a restaurant, I would sit in a way that I could see the whole restaurant. Like, it was just bizarre. But – for ever since I was little. But it’s kind of funny, you know, I tell people, I really fed my fear. Like, when I was little, everybody else was watching Disney channel. I was watching The Weather Channel, OK? Like, I’m like – I’m a weird kid, all right?

Jim: That’s not a good thing, by the way.

John: (Laughter).

Sadie: Like, I would think of the worst case scenario because I’ve seen the worst-case scenario because in my mind, for whatever reason, I thought if I could just know the worst thing that could happen, I might protect myself and my family and my friends in that scenario. Like, I didn’t struggle with asthma, but I carried an inhaler for those that did. Like, you know what I’m saying? Like, it was weird. Like, in a sense, like, my fear, in a weird way, made me feel safe, even though it wasn’t safe.

Jim: Oh, that’s interesting. You found comfort in your fear.

Sadie: I found comfort in thinking about that, just thinking, OK, well, at least I know what to do. Except for that’s a terrible way to live because it’s not security. It’s – you might feel safe, but you still have anxiety. You can’t really be in a moment. You can’t enjoy a moment. You lose your confidence. You lose the ability to connect with somebody because you’re thinking about everything around you – so really not a good way to live.

Jim: Now, you mentioned The Weather Channel, so let’s go right to that story. You had some tornado incident that really – how old were you when that happened?

Sadie: I was pretty young. My family and I were, like, traveling to a Texas Rangers game because we’re from West Monroe, La. So, when we go to Dallas, it was a big deal. And we were going to a Texas Ranger game. And…

Jim: Hey, when anybody goes to Dallas, it’s a big deal (laughter).

Sadie: I know. It should be a big deal, right? Um, no, but this was, like, big-time for us. This is, like, New York City status, OK? So, we’re going, and we see this tornado. But I think it was, like, a dirt storm. Like, it just, like, twisted up. But it freaked me out. And the thing that got me – and I wrote this in the book – is that my cousin, who, like, I thought was just, like, the bravest person in the whole world, he freaked out. Then I was freaked out. And from that moment on, it was just, like, the weather scared me because it was, like, a lack of control. Like, I could not do anything about – about the fact that this swarming, powerful thing is coming at our car, you know? And that freaked me out.

Jim: Well, let’s – let’s get to the spiritual component. God says, “Do not fear,” over and over again in the Word. Why do you think we struggle so much, as believers particularly, if we believe in God and he says, “Don’t fear”? Why do we fear?

Sadie: Well, I think that there is, like, a reason why God says “Do not fear” so many times in the Bible. I think, I mean, he knows, as humans, like, there’s going to be things that seem scary to us because they’re so outside of our control. And I’ve heard it said before that, you know, it’s OK to have the natural human reaction of, like, maybe being a little bit anxious or maybe something being a little bit intimidating, but it’s not OK to take it to the level of fear. And, um, I didn’t quite understand that quote until I really dove into what the meaning of fear is. And literally, the definition of fear is a belief that something has a potential threat to you. And when I read that, um, that’s actually when I began to, like, change everything about the way that I live because I was realizing that I’m actually, like, taking belief in something other than God. So, I’m taking belief in something that something can overpower me, that something’s going to overcome me, that something is going to harm me. And God’s saying like, “Hey. Like, instead of taking belief in that because that’s going to lead to anxiety and that’s going to lead to, like, a life not well-lived and not fully living for me, take belief in me. And that’s going to require faith in the things that you don’t see, but in that, you’re going to have a life that plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans for a hope and a future.” You know, you can choose to believe in this, or you can choose to believe in that. And I think for me that’s just kind of what began to change things because I was, like, whoa. The power of fear is literally coming under the belief of something. It’s not just, like, a feeling. It’s not just an emotion. It’s literally a belief. And that just kind of changed things for me. And so that kind of made me realize that I can feel those feelings of anxiety. They’re gonna rise sometimes, but in those moments, don’t just surrender to fear in those moments. Stop it, and choose faith.

Jim: Yeah. You attribute – in the book, Live Fearless, you attribute a certain strength that you got from your mom, Korie. Now, again, this is – this is Willie, is your dad from Duck Dynasty, and your great mom, Korie.

Sadie: Yup.

Jim: What did your mom do, specifically? I think you’re speaking to parents. I have one of my sons who struggles with anxiety. So, what would you say to us that your mom did well and maybe encourage us to do things a little better?

Sadie: My mom was the best – I always say friend to fear. Like, she was the best because she didn’t allow it, but she didn’t it make me feel crazy for it. She always just brought me to truth.

Jim: How would she engage you with it?

Sadie: You know, um, something awesome my mom did – because whenever you are so wrapped up in fear that you’re, like, anxiety-driven that you can’t even think at the time, you’re just, like, panicking, you can’t really, like, think, you know? You can’t think, like, true thoughts. And so, my mom – it was so awesome – she began to learn all these Scriptures about do not fear. Isaiah 41 was one of them. And she would quote them over me in those moments. And now I know them so deeply, and now I quote them over myself. And I’m able to quote them over other people. And it’s just really cool, the power that she had in me in that time. But you know what? It’s actually very similar to your story, about it kind of not being about you. My mom told me that – (unintelligible) crucial moment – it was when I was asked to be on Dancing With The Stars, and I was, like, panic central.

Jim: That’s big-time.

Sadie: Yeah, that’s big-time. Like…

Jim: And can you dance? That’s the big question.

Sadie: No, I don’t know how to dance. I was like, I haven’t danced in front of a human before, why star on Dancing With The Stars? I don’t think that’s a good idea. So I was, like, panicking and thinking, like, this is a terrible idea, I’m not going to do this, telling her every reason why this is a terrible idea. And my mom’s like, “You can do it, you can do it, like, you got to do it.” And then, finally, she was just like, “Hey, listen, it’s actually really not about you. It’s about what God’s going to do through you. And so, if you’re thinking that 20 million people are going to watch you dance and fail, then, like, that’s the worst way to think about it. Twenty million people are going to get to see you live a life for Jesus,” you know? And I was like, oh, you’re so right, which then took the, like – it doesn’t matter if I’m qualified to dance. It’s like, that’s not even what it’s about. It’s just going out there and living a life that gives glory to God. And it’s just like, it’s so true. And with that, it takes away that feeling of fear because the pressure’s not on you to perform.

Jim: You know, as Christians, we often feel like we need to wait to feel God’s peace before we make a decision.  You disagree with that. 

Sadie: Yeah.

Jim: How? Why?

Sadie: Well, what I’ve seen is that – and I always say this to my friends – is that his peace is waiting on the other side of your trust. And I think that the moment that you just trust him is the moment that you begin to have peace. And sometimes you don’t start to fully trust him until you’re literally in the moment. And I kind of go back to, um – I went skydiving for my 21st birthday, which, that was, like, crazy. But, like, I was like, what is the ultimate thing to live fearless? Skydiving. So, I decided to go.

Jim: You know, some people are saying that was not very smart.

Sadie: (Laughter) No, it was the best thing ever because it taught me so much. But there’s this moment, and it’s right before you jump out of the plane, and you’re thinking, like, “This is a really bad decision.” And like you are looking down, and then, you like, without even being to think anymore, you’re, like, pushed over the plane. And for the first, like, five seconds, it is, like, pure chaos. You’re, like, literally flipping through the sky. And you’re like, this is crazy. But you can’t talk because the wind’s blowing in your face. Well, then they pull the first parachute, and you immediately just kind of catch the wind. And, like, the feeling that you have is the most, like, confident, like, lively feeling. You’re thinking, like, “Oh, my gosh, like, this is the most beautiful thing. This is the best decision I ever made in my life. Like, this is awesome.”

Jim: You’re feeling saved (laughter).

Sadie: Yeah, and you feel, like, so secure. And I think that that is how it happens in life a lot of times. It’s, like, right before you do something that requires so much trust, it might feel a little chaotic at first because you don’t have your footing yet because you’re trusting God. It’s something that you’re, like, I don’t really have the ability to do this unless you catch me. And so, you step in, and it might feel a little crazy, and then He catches you, and you’re, like, I’m here. And I feel that same feeling that I felt skydiving every time I speak. When I walk up the stage, my heart is pounding. I’m like, hoo, Lord, if you don’t come, then this is nothing. And the minute I get up there and start speaking the word, it’s, like, He catches me. And I’m, like, this is great. There’s, like, this power that I knew I didn’t have before. There’s this safety and this security and this confidence that comes with that. And so, I always equate that moment to whenever you – when you do anything because, yeah, you’re gonna feel a little afraid because it’s outside of your comfort zone. But in those moments, man, that is where you meet God in the most powerful ways. And you realize, man, like, He’s given me the power to do this. It’s not, like, my own power, my own ability. And I can’t muster all that up. It has to be through his spirit. And you fall in love with who he is all over again every time.

Jim: No, it’s so good. You know, as a 21-year-old, probably one of the big things in your 20s is who you might meet that will be your spouse, right? You’re going to get married and those kinds of things. And that idea of trust is critical. I can remember, for Jean and myself – I mean, this is, you know, a few years ago, but, um, you know, I stopped dating for a couple of years because I didn’t feel that was an appropriate thing, and I needed to kind of give that over to the Lord. And again, if you’re not a believer in Christ, that simply means to trust him and to wait for him to bring an answer to that. And it was so amazing. For a couple of years, I didn’t date. And I went to a service. It was, ah, Jim Cobrae was the pastor. I didn’t know him well. And he came up to me, and he said, “I think the Lord has your spouse picked out for you, and she’s gonna have a heart for the things of God.” And I thought, “Oh, this guy’s crazy because he doesn’t know I’m not dating.” And that was a Wednesday night. And Saturday, I met Jean at a wedding.

Sadie: Wow. That’s awesome.

Jim: I mean, it’s so awesome. But – but what I – the point of what I’m saying is that idea that God smiles when you trust him, and I think the smile on God’s face in that situation was, “I’ve got his heart. And when I have his heart, I can now bless him with what he really needs and desires.”

Sadie: It’s so true.

Jim: Have you – have you found that to be true?

Sadie: Oh, for sure. And it’s one of those things where it seems so scary to trust God because you have to surrender control. But I can tell you, there’s much more fear in not trusting God. There’s a lot more anxiety in those times. If you don’t trust God, then you’re not ever going to reach that feeling of peace. And I’ve dragged that season out many times in my life. But the minute I trust God, the minute you repent, the minute you come to him, it’s, like, instantaneous forgiveness, instantaneous love and confidence. And, um, I’ve definitely found that a lot of times in my life.

Jim: Well, especially in this area of romance. And you had a pretty tough experience, didn’t you?

Sadie: Yes.

Jim: Come on. I’m pulling it out of you.

Sadie: Oh, like, you’re going there.

Jim: Yeah, tell us what happened.

Sadie: We’re going there. OK, yes.

Jim: We need to.

Sadie: So, a few – I guess it was a few years ago, I was in a relationship. And it was a long one. And it really just, you know, it started out with good intention. It was one of those things where you think, like – I really did think, “Man, this is the one.” Like, and in Louisiana, the culture’s so different, you know? The one is when you’re 18. You know, it’s like…

Jim: Yeah, people get married younger.

Sadie: …You’re there, you know? And, like, that year my brother had gotten married at 18 and 19, his wife. My cousin had just gotten married. They were 19. My mom and dad got married when they were 18. My grandparents got married when they were 18. And I’m 17, and I’m like, oh, shoot, like, this is supposed to be my moment.

Jim: “I need to find Mr. Wonderful.”

Sadie: You know? And I was dating somebody at the time. And we had dated for a while. But the truth is, it just wasn’t – God was just not in the center. And, you know, it was interesting because we would say that he was in the center, but he totally was not in the center. And we knew that. And I think anytime you’re in a relationship where you’re saying God’s in the center, you know he’s not in the center. And you can tell he’s not the center by the fruit of your relationship. And the fruit that was coming out of our relationship, well, it wasn’t fruit. It wasn’t love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control – none of that. Like, it was not the Jesus fruit. And it did not represent love, the love that the Bible talks about that’s patient, that’s kind, that doesn’t keep record of wrong, that’s all of these things. And I remember, you know, we dragged that out. We dragged it out for so long. And we weren’t happy. We were upset a lot. We were more insecure than how we came into it. We were, just not in a good place. And I remember, um, it was about 2 1/2, almost three years into the relationship, and we were having this argument on the phone. And this had to be the Lord. But I don’t even know if it was, like, my Bible app or what it was. But it was, like, 1 Corinthians 13 popped up. I don’t even know if I clicked on my Bible app or something while we were on the phone. And I read it. And I’m, like, listening to, like, the way our conversation’s going. And I’m looking at, like, “Love is patient, love is kind,” all of these things. And I’m like – and then I remember, I think he said, like, “I love you,” and I was, like, this doesn’t match. Like, this is not – this is not matching…

Jim: Just the way he was treating you.

Sadie: …The way that he was treating – and, um, I ended up ending the relationship shortly after. And that was one of the hardest seasons of my life because it required so much stress because I’m 18. Like, this is the time in my heart that I had decided that I was going to get married. But now I’m ending a relationship of three years. So, then I knew there’s going to be a lot more time because I’m going to have to go through a lot of healing. I’m going to have to have a lot of tough conversations. I’m gonna have to have a lot of prayers. And I’m gonna have to have a lot of time spent learning who I am again in Christ Jesus to ever, like, come and be in a relationship again. So that was trust in saying, “God, like, even though, like, I’m now seeing my timeline is not the perfect timeline, I’m just going to trust that yours is better.” So, I ended that relationship. And, you know, when you’re 18, you end a relationship, you feel it’s the end of the world. And you’re like, why can tomorrow even come, you know? And, like, then, of course, four years have gone by, I guess, since then. And I’m in a new relationship now, and we’ve been together for a year. And I’m looking at the fruit of our relationship and just – I can look at myself and I can see just the difference in a God-centered relationship. And I’m looking at him and the fruit that’s coming out of his life and how we’ve grown in the past year, and it’s beautiful. And I’m so glad that I trusted God and wasn’t – didn’t let that fear, you know, keep me in a relationship that I shouldn’t have been in. And, you know, the truth is, I – and always hesitate to talk about that because I never want him to be put in a bad light because I hope that he goes on and finds the same thing. And I take full responsibility in that relationship for not living my life dedicated to the Lord at the time the way that I should have. And so, you know, I never want it to seem like it’s a one-way thing. It was definitely a two-way thing that we created. But now looking at where I’m at, I’m so thankful. Um, and I can see the power of trusting God. And I have been able to talk to so many girls in relationships in that same situation, where they have created this timeline in their head or they thought that this is going to be the one, and they just can’t imagine breaking up, even though they’re not happy. And I’m like, trust God. And girl after girl after girl after girl, even guys I’ve seen, you know, now marry the people that they’re going to be with. And it’s just amazing what happens when you just give it to him.

Jim: Yeah.

 John: This is Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. I’m John Fuller. And our guest today is Sadie Robertson. And, uh, she’s talking about some of the content in her book Live Fearless: A Call To Power, Passion, And Purpose. Uh, we’ve got the book and a CD or download of our conversation at focusonthefamily.com/broadcast, or call 800, the letter A and the word family. 

And before we move on from that, Sadie, just real quick, how did you – how did you trust God for the next relationship? Because I would imagine fear could hold you back from saying yes to any guy.

Jim: Well, that was the question I had, too, with perfection.

John: Oh, yeah.

Sadie: Yeah.

Jim: How do you not fall to perfection, and you’re looking for the perfect person?

Sadie: Oh, yeah. Well, you’re not going to find the perfect person. I mean, I’m not the perfect person. Like, you can’t put any expectation on any human to be perfect. And the relationship I’m in right now, it is not perfect, you know? That’s two people…

Jim: But God-honoring is different from perfect.

Sadie: Yeah, so different. And two people pursue in the Lord and what comes from that and then two people pursuing a perfect God, then, you know, you know what conviction feels like, you know when to apologize, you speak with, like, a conviction of your words to be kind, to be loving. And so there – yeah, I think the trust and how I knew I could go into another relationship was being confident in where I have come in God and knowing, OK, I’m at a place now that I know who I am in God. And if something were to contradict who I was in him, then I would be quick to leave.

Jim: And that’s really knowing your identity in Christ. And that’s so critical at this age. I mean, that’s something – my boys and I are doing a little Bible study together and it’s based on knowing who you are in Christ, the identity in Christ. Let me ask you, of course, we’re speaking about anxiety and the things that causes that stress, what you’ve learned. You have an analogy of connecting the dots. Explain what that is.

Sadie: Yeah, so it was kind of this idea of, like, when you play connect the dots, which – connect the dots is easy for some. It’s confusing to me, OK? It just gets really jumbled.

(LAUGHTER)

Sadie: But I look at connect the dots. And it’s, like, you only are looking at, like, your next move and then your next move, then your next move. And you don’t get to see the whole picture until, like, it’s all played out. And, you know, sometimes in life, it’s, like, we get so afraid because we can’t see the full picture. And you’re like, gosh, I just want to see what’s going to happen if I do that, and I do that. And you’re just not gonna know. Like…

Jim: So that creates anxiety.

Sadie: It creates anxiety because you want to have a sense of control of your future, but you – you can’t have a control of your future because you don’t know what’s gonna happen. And, um, the best verse that I found to help me with this is Ecclesiastes 11. That’s, like, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible that talks about how no one knows the way that the wind of the maker moves. It talks about how, like, you know, if a cloud’s full of water, then it’s probably gonna rain. If a tree falls to the north or south, then there it will lie. By the end of the day, like, you just don’t know what God’s gonna do. And so, it – it says, “If you get caught looking at the wind or you get caught looking at the clouds, then you’re missing it.” And it says in verse six to continue to sow your seed in the morning and don’t be idle with your hands in the evening, for you don’t know what success is gonna hit. And I think that that’s so good because it’s like, you know what, God, like, I’m just gonna keep sowing my seed in the morning, and I’m not gonna be idle with my hands in the evening. So, I’m not gonna fear if this dot’s going to lead to that. I’m just gonna focus on this dot. And when you say to want that one, I’m gonna walk to that one. But, um, that verse has really helped me a lot. Because it helps you not fear cause you know you are not get caught looking around, I am not going get caught just waiting on a moment, I am just keep, you know, serving the Lord faithfully.  And whatever comes, comes, and that requires a lot of trust, which requires to surrender fear.

Jim: And it’s one of the big issues. People can be paralyzed.

Anxiety can cause you just stand still cause you don’t want to make the wrong move.

Sadie: Yep.

Jim: Um, there seems to be a weather theme that runs through your life, so I…

Sadie: (Laughter).

Jim: There’s another big God story you had in the middle of, uh, one of your greatest fears. It also related to the weather (laughter). So, let’s end on the weather note. So…

Sadie: Always the weather. It’s always the weather.

Jim: And we should have a hailstorm sometime here in Colorado.

John: (Laughter).

Sadie: Oh, lovely. I’ll stick around.

Jim: hang out. Yeah, stick around.

Sadie: (Laughter) Yes.

Jim: But, uh, talk about that other experience you had with – with a storm that gave you an idea about God.

Sadie: OK, so it was actually right after I had moved to Nashville. And, um, I was living in my parents’ friends’ barn, which it sounds like…

Jim: (Laughter) Sorry. That just sounds funny.

John: Glamorous.

Sadie: I know. It sounds, like, really funny. But it was a nice barn, so I’m not gonna complain.

Jim: It sounds like something your dad would do (laughter).

Sadie: I know, he’s like, “You can go live in the barn and build character.” No, um…

(LAUGHTER)

Sadie: It was – it was actually a really nice barn. I’m not complaining. But I was there. And the wind in Nashville – OK, nobody prepared me for the Nashville weather, or maybe I wouldn’t have moved there. But you know what? That’s part of being fearless. So, I’m there. And the wind was blowing so extremely. And it was, like, moving the barn. It was, like, the way that the, like – it was the way that the door was. You know how the tent is when it’s, like, the wind is so loud? And I was like, oh, my gosh.

Jim: Sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

Sadie: Yes, I know. My roommate was asleep. And I was like, oh, my gosh. And a lot of times – and this might sound funny, but I will literally sleep, like, with my Bible at hand because, like, I think for people that struggle with fear, a lot of times, night is, like, the hardest time because, um, you can’t see anything. And I always say, “You have to surrender to the night by going to sleep,” like, you’re like, “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m closing my eyes.” Like, for some reason, night is just scary. And so, I remember just thinking like, “Oh, my gosh, the wind is so strong, and it’s nighttime and so I’ll sleep with my Bible because I’ll open it up and read if I get nervous.” And I opened it up this night. And it was talking about how – it says that he rides the wings of the wind. And I thought that was the coolest thing ever. And so now it’s so cool that I love the wind because I always go, “He rides the wings of the wind.” Like, he’s coming in, y’all, like, and there’s so much…

Jim: As the barn is blowing down.

Sadie: Yes, as the barn is blowing down.

Jim: (Laughter).

Sadie: And, like, bring it he rides the wings of the wind. No, but, like, it’s so powerful to think about, like, our God, like, he – I think that’s why I love the weather so much. And I really do. My friends laugh at me all the time because I can tell you the weather, like, every day of the week because I love the weather. I love to look at it. I love to think about it because it’s just something that we can’t control but that our God has control of. And thinking about the fact that he rides the wings of the wind, that there’re stories about, like, God, you know, he wasn’t in all these big things, but he was in the whisper of the wind, like, he’s – he’s in it all – in the wind and the rain and the storms. And there’s so many times, even David, it would be, like, this Psalm, and it would kind of seem like he would be talking about a thunderstorm because he would talk about flashes of lightning and thunder. And he would say that that’s how God protected him. And so, it’s just really cool that when you begin to trust God, even the things that man is scared of, you can actually see maybe, God, this is, like, your protection over me. Maybe you’re speaking to me in this somehow, some way. And, um, I think if you can just completely train your mind to just believe that, you know, God is always for you, he’s the champion of your cause, he’s the sustainer of your life, he has you, he’s with you, and, like, you can trust him in that, then you’re gonna be blown away by, like, the little revelations of just, like, the wind and the rain and the clouds and all that…

Jim: I love that sensitivity. I really do. I think that’s a great way to approach life because it’ll infiltrate every other area of life.

Jim:  Sadie, this has been terrific. Thank you for being with us.

Sadie: Awesome. Yes, thank you so much. This has been fun. 

Closing:

John: I hope for you as a listener this has a timely reminder from Sadie Robertson that God can be trusted with our deepest fears and worries. 

Jim: Yes, her can John. And I want to acknowledge that sometimes anxiety is extreme and warrants some professional help, certainly.  If you are struggling with worry but you’re not sure if it is everyday fear or clinical anxiety, head over to our website. I’ve recorded a special discussion with a licensed counselor about the signs and symptoms of clinical anxiety so you can recognize it in yourself or your spouse maybe your children. As always, if you decide that you need help, we have caring Christian counselors on staff here at Focus that will be happy to offer you a complimentary phone consultation.  They are trained and ready to listen and pray with you and help connect you with resources and tools in your local area. 

John: You can hear that bonus conversation and contact a counselor, and also in-depth articles about anxiety and other issues in life at focusonthefamily.com/broadcast. Or, by calling 800-the letter A- and the word- FAMILY. 

Jim: I also want to encourage you to get a copy of Sadie’s book, Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion, and Purpose. It’s full of Biblical truths that you can use to combat fear in your life. And I want to get this book into your hands, that is the bottom line! If you can give a donation of any amount to Focus today, I’ll send you a copy of Sadie’s book as our way of saying thank you.

John: And, once again, our number 800 the letter A and the word FAMILY.

And Jim, we do have some exciting news to share that our listeners may not be aware of. Right after we recorded this program, in the studio, Sadie and her boyfriend got engaged! And we’re really excited for them and hope that our listeners will pray for Sadie, and her fiancé, Christian, and certainly we wish them our best for their marriage.

Jim:  Well, that is one blessed young man and I am sure she will be blessed to.

John:  Well, I’d agree Jim. and speaking of marriage, coming up next time on this broadcast.  Are you confused by the way your spouse thinks and acts? Well, here’s hope! 

Teaser:

David Clarke:  The differences, if we manage them the right way, create never-ending intimacy. They can also drive you crazy. Uh, so you have to get the balance.

End of Teaser

Today's Guests

Live Fearless

Live Fearless

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