Fear…that pesky, little bugger. Fear creeps into my mind and emotions with each unexpected change in my life. Fear may creep in slowly with little doubts and insecurities as with a change in plans, a change in the random sounds my car makes, or a change in my path when I take a wrong turn. On the other hand, fear may penetrate my mind with the force of a gale wind when the changes are overwhelming or over-concerning such as a change in a relationship, a change in health, or a change job status. It is not invited. It is not wanted. But fear does not care. It shows up, SO we need a path to guide us out of it!
The enemy loves to use fear to try to throw me off track…to move my focus from trusting in God and His strength, His power, His healing, and His plan to focusing on myself and all the things I cannot control. When I focus on myself and my limited ability to control my life on my own, fear takes the driver’s seat. When fear is driving, it reminds me that I am not enough on my own; I lack control; and I often do not know which way to turn. Living in fear is unacceptable!
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.“
(emphasis mine)
One of my favorite authors, Annie F. Downs says, “Our feelings can ride, but they cannot drive our lives.” I may be fearful for any number of reasons. BUT I work to CHOOSE JOY in my circumstances in the midst of the fear. I choose to replace the fear with trust in God and His plan. I choose to let God lead and I follow as a faithful servant. I choose to rely on God’s promises for direction and hope. For as a follower of Christ, God promises me power, love and self discipline through the Holy Spirit in me (see 2 Timothy 1:7 above). For I am not in control, but God always is!!
So HOW do I fight fear?
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
“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.”
These verses remind us of how to refocus our hearts on Truth when we are afraid. In summary,
- Attitude – Focus on the positive. Choose joy.
- Prayer – Pray continually. God wants to hear us cry out to Him, worship Him, and state our requests to Him. He is our provider.
- Gratitude – Count our blessings no matter the circumstances. Remind ourselves of all the wonderful ways God has helped us in the past. By documenting our reasons to be grateful, we are able to look back on God’s faithful grace and mercy in the past to give us hope and joy for future blessings.
- Belonging – We are the children of God saved by the blood of Christ Jesus, His Son, and we are filled with the Holy Spirit. God has a plan for us and we belong to Him. We are created, known, loved and provided for by our God.
- Destination – We will be in heaven with Jesus. This life on earth is not the end. It is not even the best part! Our true home and our perfect selves are in heaven for eternity.
- Companionship -We are not alone…ever. Jesus is with us always and will never abandon us.
Basically, we all have feelings. Our feelings are real…we feel what we feel. We are able to acknowledge them, but we need to resist allowing our feelings to control us. I don’t want to live with anger in control or sadness in control or fear in control of me and my actions. Do you?
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. We don’t want fear to drive in our lives. We want You to be the driver. We need You to be the driver. Lord, help us to stop allowing fear to control us. Help us to resist and rebuke the enemy in the name of Jesus so that he may not use fear as one of his tools to lead us away from you. Help us to recognize when we have turned from you and our trust in you. We will never have control but we know you have complete control. You are the Maker of all things, Lord, and You rule all things. Thank you for your grace, mercy, power, love and self-discipline that allows us to always be joyful and find thanksgiving in all things regardless of the circumstances. Amen.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- When was the last time you were afraid?
- What were the circumstances? What was causing your fear?
- Looking back, are you able to see things now that you are grateful for in the midst of the challenge?
- What are those things? Write them down and put them in a safe place. Read them when you need to see how God is working in your life to redeem your story.
Hugs and blessings, Sweet Circle.
Stacy
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