Fighting Fear

The fear that may accompany grief can be gripping and paralyzing. Fear leads us to shrink the borders of our lives and live small; dream small. As I look back over my life very few things I feared would happen ever came to fruition. I think about how much time and energy fear robbed from me.

Fear can lead us to see people’s words or actions differently than intended. Fear can cause you to assign incorrect motive to others. Our actions that result from our fearfulness can damage relationships and impair our decision making. Fear is the absence of trust and opposite of faith. FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. Faith blesses those who wear it. To know and believe these fundamental truths about God is to have faith:

1.     God is: God is God. He is who is says he is. He is the I AM, the supreme, sovereign, omnipotent, reigning ruler of all. (Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is.”

2.     God Is Able: Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” God has the power to work in EVERY situation. His imagination, resources, and power are boundless.

 

3.     God Is Good: Psalm 119:68 “God, you are good, and do good.” God is righteous and kind, these are the characteristics of His goodness.

Ex 34:6 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth.”  An imperative to faith is to know the goodness of God’s nature. We won’t trust someone who isn’t good and faith is about trusting. Faith is trust. We won’t release our fears, problems, or welfare to God until we are sure of his goodness and care.

4.     God Will Work: Romans 8:38 “That’s why we can be sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” (MSG) God will work because He exists, He is able, and He is good.

5.     God Loves You: Romans 8:38-39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God . “  Jeremiah 31:3 “ I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

6.     God’s ways are Perfect: Psalm 18:30 “As for God, His way is prefect.”

Jeremiah 29:11 MSG  “I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 MSG “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.”  When things don’t work out the way we expected or prayed, we can lean on the fact God’s ways are perfect.

7.     God’s Timing Is Perfect: God works in us even in His delay. His delays are intentional and loaded with purpose. When we believe these truths we become rooted in faith.

Reference: When Women Let Go Of Their Fear by Cheryl Brodersen