What are you scared of? What terrifies you? What keeps you up at night? Are you afraid of the dark? Snakes or spiders? Speaking in public? The future? Getting lost? Let's face it, lots of people have lots of fears.
For me, my fears are:
1. Heights - or more specifically the sudden stop at the end of the fall from a great height
2. Animals that can eat me (Sharks and crocodiles fit here)
3. Speaking in front of a group of people
Some fears are real and some are just inside our heads. But all types of fears affect us the same. Fear keeps us from moving forward, unwilling to take risks, and stunting growth in our faith. We can become so engrossed in our terror that it becomes our sole focus preventing us from living.
I have heard fear called "False Evidence Appearing Real" (granted I think the sharks disagree). But, for the most part, this is true. Are we more paralyzed by fears that are physical or the ones we play up in our minds? I can avoid sharks, but I cant escape my own thoughts. We allow our own thoughts to make the scary issue even scarier. We all desire to be safe and not in danger, so it makes sense not to risk or believe what our fears tell us. If we hide from them or run away, we wont have to deal with them and we can feel "safe".
What is fear? 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline". So, fear is a spirit and it is not one that God has given us. It is also an attack meant to steal our peace and destiny in Christ.
God, however, has given us a spirit of love and self-discipline. Self-discipline is the ability to control our emotions and thoughts and not allow them to be manipulated by the enemy. God has given us the means to deal with fear.
Sounds good, Chris. But how do we control that? We can't on our own.
We need to pray, meditate on God's word, and talk to other Christians. God uses all these to help us maintain that control. We are unable to on our own, in fact we easily succumb to fear when we try to control ourselves.
Another story relating to fear we find is in Matthew 14: 25-31. This is the story of Jesus walking on the water. The disciples are afraid at first until Jesus reveals that it is Him. Peter then asks "If it's you, tell me to come to you on the water" Famous last words. Jesus calls Peter out, who begins to walk on water. Think about this, Peter, a human, is walking on the water. This has never happened before. This was a day God defied the laws of nature to allow a man walk on the water. Instead of celebrating this miracle, we remember the story for what happens next. Peter saw the wind and waves and began to sink. He needed to Jesus to catch him. Jesus ends the passage asking "Why did you doubt?"
Fear steals from us. It can even steal miracles like the story above.
What keeps us from walking out of the boat onto the water to Jesus? Is it because it's hard to do? Is it about going into the unknown? Do we feel inadequate? In a way, we all have our reasons for not. It's perfectly safe in the boat - we could sink in the water. That's a common fear for all of us.
That's where faith comes in. We need to have faith that God has our best interests when he calls. Do we want to be faithful or fearful? Do we prefer "safety" or "risk"?
That's what I am doing by going to India for a missions trip in 2015. It is so far out of my comfort zone that people are amazed I am going. But, I am not scared to what God has called me to. (I will admit, when it gets closer I may have worries if history is any indication).
How do we begin to control our fears? First, we need to realize that the fearful thought is a threat. So, if it is a threat, we need to rely on God's promises for that type of emergency. We should pray to God regarding our concerns. God will not get upset if we want assurances. We may not know what the end result will be, but trust that God will provide. We should also praise God for his promise to provide for our needs as well.
Seems simple. It is. I know, however, how we tend to be and worry and fear on the next thing. I know - I do that too. We forget what God has just done and focus on what is causing us fear next. We sometimes have short-term memory issues when dealing with God. But, God is always there and we can come back to Him. Confess your fears to God. God wants us to grow and move forward, not be immobile in fear.
In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord declares "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
How does that put your fears in perspective?
For me, my fears are:
1. Heights - or more specifically the sudden stop at the end of the fall from a great height
2. Animals that can eat me (Sharks and crocodiles fit here)
3. Speaking in front of a group of people
Some fears are real and some are just inside our heads. But all types of fears affect us the same. Fear keeps us from moving forward, unwilling to take risks, and stunting growth in our faith. We can become so engrossed in our terror that it becomes our sole focus preventing us from living.
I have heard fear called "False Evidence Appearing Real" (granted I think the sharks disagree). But, for the most part, this is true. Are we more paralyzed by fears that are physical or the ones we play up in our minds? I can avoid sharks, but I cant escape my own thoughts. We allow our own thoughts to make the scary issue even scarier. We all desire to be safe and not in danger, so it makes sense not to risk or believe what our fears tell us. If we hide from them or run away, we wont have to deal with them and we can feel "safe".
What is fear? 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline". So, fear is a spirit and it is not one that God has given us. It is also an attack meant to steal our peace and destiny in Christ.
God, however, has given us a spirit of love and self-discipline. Self-discipline is the ability to control our emotions and thoughts and not allow them to be manipulated by the enemy. God has given us the means to deal with fear.
Sounds good, Chris. But how do we control that? We can't on our own.
We need to pray, meditate on God's word, and talk to other Christians. God uses all these to help us maintain that control. We are unable to on our own, in fact we easily succumb to fear when we try to control ourselves.
Another story relating to fear we find is in Matthew 14: 25-31. This is the story of Jesus walking on the water. The disciples are afraid at first until Jesus reveals that it is Him. Peter then asks "If it's you, tell me to come to you on the water" Famous last words. Jesus calls Peter out, who begins to walk on water. Think about this, Peter, a human, is walking on the water. This has never happened before. This was a day God defied the laws of nature to allow a man walk on the water. Instead of celebrating this miracle, we remember the story for what happens next. Peter saw the wind and waves and began to sink. He needed to Jesus to catch him. Jesus ends the passage asking "Why did you doubt?"
Fear steals from us. It can even steal miracles like the story above.
What keeps us from walking out of the boat onto the water to Jesus? Is it because it's hard to do? Is it about going into the unknown? Do we feel inadequate? In a way, we all have our reasons for not. It's perfectly safe in the boat - we could sink in the water. That's a common fear for all of us.
That's where faith comes in. We need to have faith that God has our best interests when he calls. Do we want to be faithful or fearful? Do we prefer "safety" or "risk"?
That's what I am doing by going to India for a missions trip in 2015. It is so far out of my comfort zone that people are amazed I am going. But, I am not scared to what God has called me to. (I will admit, when it gets closer I may have worries if history is any indication).
How do we begin to control our fears? First, we need to realize that the fearful thought is a threat. So, if it is a threat, we need to rely on God's promises for that type of emergency. We should pray to God regarding our concerns. God will not get upset if we want assurances. We may not know what the end result will be, but trust that God will provide. We should also praise God for his promise to provide for our needs as well.
Seems simple. It is. I know, however, how we tend to be and worry and fear on the next thing. I know - I do that too. We forget what God has just done and focus on what is causing us fear next. We sometimes have short-term memory issues when dealing with God. But, God is always there and we can come back to Him. Confess your fears to God. God wants us to grow and move forward, not be immobile in fear.
In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord declares "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
How does that put your fears in perspective?
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