Do Nothing Out of Fear

I have exciting news to share. God sold our house! We have been waiting for God’s timing for 18 months. After living in limbo this long, we are rejoicing that our move is now on the horizon!

 

When we received the current offer on our house, it was lower than we were hoping to receive. It was within the range we were hoping for, and we believed we could find a mutually satisfying place to meet in the middle. We were very excited, hopeful and a little nervous wanting this to turn out well.

 

After several rounds of offers and counter-offers, we were close to a price we wanted. The buyers, however, were offering a price lower than what we found satisfying. It was so close to where we hoped to land, we were unsure whether to accept their offer as is, or ask for a higher price. Our house had been on the market for 18 long months. We had already dropped the price below our original asking price. Every additional dollar we lost as we lowered the price felt painful.

 

Our realtor said we could choose to go either way. Chris felt like we should leave the figure alone, to avoid rocking the boat. I didn’t feel satisfied staying with the price and felt like we should see if they would come up a little higher.

 

Chris and I went back and forth. At one point, the conversation turned somewhat tense, as we felt much pressure to make a fast decision. While we were both open to each other’s perspective, neither one of us agreed with the other’s position. Chris was willing to ask the buyers for a higher price, but I knew he would feel sad and probably mad if we asked for a higher figure and it blew the deal. I was willing to accept the offer as is, but I didn’t feel good about it. We weren’t sure how to proceed. Neither one of us felt very peaceful.

 

At this point we realized we should pray and see what God might say about this situation. As we prayed, I began to feel more peaceful. I realized I can be rigid. I did not want to make this decision out of my rigidity, and my strong sense of “what was right”. As I gave God my fear that we might not receive the offer we had hoped, I felt peace to ask the buyers for a little higher price.

 

After my own conversation with God, I asked what Chris was feeling about this situation. His response surprised me. Chris said he felt like God reminded him of his heart desire to, “do nothing out of fear”. This concept is one Chris and I learned from Jim Wilder years ago. He shared with us that, early in his life, he felt God challenge him to do three things.  1) Do nothing out of fear, 2) Talk to God about everything, and 3) Love people deeply from the heart. (For more on this, check out JIMtalks Volume 22.) This was a profound insight for us. While these principles felt foreign to us at the time, they have become a foundational part of who we are and how we make decisions.

 

After God reminded Chris of his commitment to do nothing out of fear, Chris realized he was making the decision based on the fear of losing the sale. Chris felt it was important that we both feel satisfied with the sale price of our house. Chris would rather have the buyers walk away from the deal than settle for a price out of fear.

 

It was deeply refreshing to feel peace about our decision. Regardless of the outcome we were on the same page. I am amazed at how talking to God about our fears and seeking His insight not only leads to peace, but can cause my husband and I to be in agreement with each other. Without God’s intervention, the decision could have left us feeling alone and frustrated.

 

In the end, our counter-offer was accepted by the buyers. Chris and I both felt satisfied with the outcome. Even better, we felt peaceful about our decision.

 

Where is God showing you that fear is impacting your relationships or decisions? How does God want to give you His peace today?