The biggest cripplers of our Christian walk are fear and doubt. They effectively incapacitate and render us useless for the Lord, and are the favorite tools in Satan’s arsenal. God says, “Fear not!”, but instead, our eyes are fixated on the trouble around us and we freeze – paralyzed in fear. He says, “The battle is Mine not yours”, but we doubt, and surrender before we’ve even started to fight. When we operate in fear and doubt, we’re rejecting and denying God and His power. And even today if I asked you, there’s probably something that fear and doubt are holding you back from doing in your life. Satan loves fear and doubt…but he’s also anxious…for he knows that if Believers would conquer their inner doubt and fear and grasp a hold of God’s truths…they could change the world for Christ.
Tag: Fear of the unknown
John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.”
Why do some decisions come easier than others? And why are there times when we are so indecisive and timid we can’t pull the trigger on anything? John 14:27 tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” For it’s when we allow our emotions to rule us, we walk around, wringing our hands and crying, “Woe is me!” over the smallest decision. Couple that with fear of the unknown, and it’s amazing we make choices at all. Major life decisions will face all of us, but it’s only after seeking God’s counsel first and receiving His peace that we can confidently make the best choice.
II Samuel 22:2-3 ” The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior – from violent men You save me.”
God is our only reliable stronghold in the world today. He is the fortress we can retreat to when fear over takes us. He is our rescuer when wickedness and oppression take the very breath from us. For God is the only rock we can put our absolute trust in…the only refuge we can run to for safety.
Isaiah 54: 4-5 ” Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is His name – the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.”
If you’ve lost a spouse or gone through a divorce…you know exactly how it feels. The loneliness and isolation are only compounded by the awkwardness of well-meaning friends. Add to that the strict view of some Churches on divorce…you may have even been asked to leave your Church family all together. So you try to cope with your loss as best as you can…struggling with fear and depression and feelings of self-defeat and failure. But Isaiah is telling you here that your Creator, God Almighty, is your husband (or spouse). He is your Kinsman-Redeemer with a covenantal tie of love and loyalty only to you. With God as your husband, there’s no room anymore for those negative emotions of loss, shame, or rejection to fill your mind. Yes, you may not be married in the legal sense…but you are espoused by a loving and faithful God.
II Timothy 1:7 ” For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
As a Believer, you have been given the Spirit of adoption and strength. No longer are you an orphan, fearful of tomorrow. No longer are you a slave to anxiety or dread, for you have been embraced by your Heavenly Father…taken in as family and becoming a joint heir with Jesus.
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Fear is a demoralizing force that will stop you in your tracks. Fear takes your eyes off God and onto to the scary circumstances swirling around you. Genesis 28:15 tells us, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go…” Just remember, there is no place you will ever find yourself that is beyond the reach of God.
Philippians 1:27-28 ” I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the Gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”
Declaring the Gospel to those around us can be scary. We’re afraid of rejection…afraid of adversity…afraid of failure, so hence, we say nothing. My favorite excuse is, “Someone else will share the Good News with that person…someone like the Pastor, or someone else more experienced than me.” But there may not be a “someone else” in that person’s life. For you may be the only one that will ever share the Gospel, or ever say the words, “Jesus loves you” to that person. I Corinthians 16:13 says, …” we are to stand firm; be men (and women) of courage; and be strong when contending for the faith.” So how do we overcome the fear of sharing our faith with others? First realize, you can never fail, even if you don’t see immediate results. What you’re doing is planting seed that needs to be watered…maybe by someone else… and maybe an entirely different person will be there to see the harvest. Secondly, it’s not about you and your abilities or lack there of. For your dependence should be on the Lord Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit to show you the way. So with them in your corner, don’t be afraid, you can do it!
Hebrews 10: 37-38 ” For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ “
The writer of Hebrews is paraphrasing Habakkuk 2:3-4 in this passage. He’s stressing that our spiritual walk is made up of constant, focused, decisions to trust and obey the Lord…even when we can’t see change. He warns us against retreating or drawing back from trials simply out of fear. If you’re in the middle of a storm today, don’t allow fear to rule your life…don’t hesitate when apprehension rises in your throat…rather make a conscious decision to listen to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit and walk by faith.
Joshua 1:6-7 ” Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous…”
In this scripture, God is commanding Joshua to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. To the human mind this was an almost impossible undertaking…moving a vast sea of humanity from point A to point B. But the Lord is girding up Joshua’s loins so to speak by commanding him to be brave and fearless…to look beyond what he saw to what God envisioned for them. The Lord may have a scary scenario coming up this year for you…when He calls, will you step out with the same determination and boldness as Joshua did, or allow the fear of impossibility to take over?
I John 4:18 ” There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
With maturity in the Lord comes new boldness and confidence. A strong Christian walk seasons and prepares us so that when fear threatens, we can face it without anxiety and insecurity. The time is now to face that fear head on…don’t allow it to control and dominate your life…for that fear causes you to forfeit your peace and wellbeing.
Safetypinlove 