Fearful times

I understand that in God's Kingdom, we must be aware of the times - and be aware of "what might be coming."

 

At the same time, let me give you a Word from the Holy Spirit. 

 

God says to you today:  "Fear Not."

 

God has everything under control.

 

He really does.

 

Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7, "God has not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

 

Fear has many  faces - sometimes it comes with a horrific, paralyzing shock.  But more often it appears in more subtle forms such as worry or excessive stress or an underlying sense of anxiety and dread (at what might happen - remember Y2K?).

 

Let me ask you this today, my friends:  Do you look into the future with hope and optimism?  Or is there a subtle dread of what may happen next?  Not just in the world as a whole - but in your own individual life - are you being robbed of God's joy in the present because of your fear of tomorrow?

 

Do your worries and anxieties drain your strength and steal your peace?

 

I would suggest that fear carries with it an unhealthy element of torment - and it makes life more stressful than it ought to be.

 

Please don't misunderstand me:  There is a healthy, rational kind of fear that causes us to jump out of the way of a speeding truck and stay alive.  There is a healthy, rational kind of fear that helps us prepare for what might happen.  We should not "stick our head in the sand," at the possibility of what might come.

 

But here is my word today:  Don't let those fears bind you and have a negative influence on the quality of your life and upon your effectiveness today.

 

As Christians, we know that whatever happens, God is in control (let me say it again) and that at the "end of the day," everything is in His hands and that there is no other place I would rather be but in His hands.

 

How can  you overcome your fears today?

 

Realize that God can give you the strength you need this day to overcome your fears.

 

David said in Psalms 34:4, "I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears."

 

Relax in God's unconditional love.

 

First John 4:17, 18 tells us (and this is so important):  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.  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."

 

God loves you and I unconditionally! 

 

He has promised to watch over us and take care of us!  Nothing is beyond his care.  NO situation is beyond His ability to reach out and give us peace.

 

Rethink the situation.  (This is huge).  Get the proper perspective.  The real foundation of tormenting fear is wrong thinking.  When we are thinking right, we are keeping our focus on God and not our situation.

 

The opposite of fear is faith.  Life is to be approached from a faith stance and not a fear stance.

 

Corrie Ten Boom used to say that faith us: 

 

F antastic

A dventure

I  n

T rusting

H im.

 

Gang, it is good to be aware of the times that we live in - but I encourage you to walk in the peace of God this day.

 

I encourage you to pray this prayer:  "Father, I ask that you would help me overcome my fears this day.  I fear (you fill in the blank _______________"  Help me to realize your power, relax in your love and rethink what is really happening.  In your name I pray, Amen."

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.