“Takot-subo” or “Bilib-subo” Take-in Fear. . . or Take-in Faith. . .

By: Nancy Abiera

 

Happy New Year to all! I pray that your year starts with abundant blessings and continuously receive them as you walk and engage in your daily life.

One day, I came across this word “Takotsubo” from Melody Dizon as we were talking on the phone. This caught my attention. I looked it up and found out that “Takotsubo” is a form of heart disease called cardiomyopathy, otherwise known as the “broken-heart syndrome”. It is a Japanese word named after an octopus trap (known as tako tsubo) that resembles the shape of the heart. In Filipino language, it means “Take in Fear” and I made up the “bilib subo” as the opposite word “Take in Faith”.

We are either driven by Fear or Faith as we journey through life. On the surface, some people are driven by wealth, success and happiness. When I was a little girl, I dreamt to living in RUSHED:

R. Rich

U. Undeniably

S. Successful

H. Happy yet

E. Ending

D. Disillusioned

Yes, what I aimed, I was able to accomplish at the age of 39 ½. No wonder people say “life begins at 40”. However, I was not totally fulfilled and even got disillusioned and burned out.

I did not realize that there were various fears underneath: failure, lack/poverty, and loneliness, etc. I tried so hard to achieve these dreams that nothing and no one can stop me. However, in the end, even though I accomplished them, the sense of deep fulfillment was not enough. There was still something missing which I could not figure out.

I reflected back and discovered that I was living in fear subconsciously because I had faith only in myself. I left out the most important element in my life – God, my Creator. Back then I was just plain religious. I was living and practicing the do’s and don’ts rituals with no understanding to gain acceptance from God. Praise God, He never left me there alone. Through Jesus, I begin to know that life is all about Him and not just me. My self-centeredness turned to receiving Jesus’ faith replacing my own faith. Jesus offered His life in exchange of my life. I responded and received Jesus into my heart and my life went through transformation.

Note that when we are focused on ourselves, fear drives us into self-destruction or self-sabotage forming the false self. This breaks the heart of God; and we hurt ourselves and others. Jesus pours out His faith to and in us so we become like Him. Being connected with Jesus, the Heavenly Father is honored. We also get to know our true selves. Jesus heals our heart giving us His faith in return for our fears. He also replaces the lies we believed and transforms our minds. We then become vessels of healing/ transformation as we help others through Him.

“Fear’s PLAY-GROUND is in the mind manifesting in the natural through reason and logic.

It is the product of our perverted imaginations, haunted by the things of our past perceived to repeat in the future.

Majority of our fears are self-produced and may never exist.

Faith’s PRAY-GROUND is in our heart where God’s Spirit does miracles that supernaturally flow.”

I now invite you to let go of FEAR and receive JESUS, the finisher and perfector of FAITH. When we receive Jesus, we believe in His might and we live for Jesus. Let us pray:

PRAYER: “Jesus, I release all my fears in exchange of your faith. I breathe in the breath of life that comes from you. Forgive me for my self-centeredness and help me to be centered in You. Let me live Your life daily. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Always choose “On A Bright Side”. I love you readers with the love of the Lord yet the Lord loves you the most. Smile and be a blessing. Rev. Nancy H. Abiera