Fear Is Common To All of Us

It is said that the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin so feared for his safety that his residence in Moscow contained eight bedrooms. Each night Stalin chose a bedroom at random to ensure that no one knew exactly where he was sleeping.

Everyone knows what its like to be afraid. We all have things that we’re afraid of - I can remember as a child being afraid of the dark - a fear I think we have all had at one time or another. For some of you it may be storms, an extreme height, traveling in airplanes, or dogs.

But, there are hidden fears that motivate us too - Fear of failure causes many people to never start, or try anything that is not completely safe. Fear of rejection makes us afraid to do anything that could draw criticism or give someone a chance to laugh at us.

We could go on and on talking about fears and phobias. And in the course of naming these different fears, we’d probably find that all of them fall into two kinds of fear:

1) Fear that is good - keeps us from driving 200 mph, picking up a rattlesnake, jumping off the side of a building, or other foolish things that you can think of and... 2) Fear that is harmful - This fear paralyzes us, keeps us from doing things we could, or should do. Maybe there's a fear in your life that you need to overcome at this very moment!

Let's look at this a little more closely today. Did you know that Satan is a master at using our fears? He can keep us from being an effective Christian, or a happy person by using our own fears. He uses the "spirit of fear" to make our lives miserable. You probably already knew that worry and fear can make our lives miserable.

He also makes us ineffective. For example, many times we do not share our faith with someone because of fear. We worry...

What will they think of me?
What if I turn them off?
What if I mess up?
They probably won’t listen to me anyway!

These are common fears Satan can use to make us ineffective witnesses. Satan is a master at using our fears to stop us, to bind us, and to rob us! On the bright side, however, God has not given us the "spirit of fear,"  but He has given us three things that will help us overcome fear. These are:

1. The gift of Power - Through Christ Jesus, I can do anything God wants me to do!
2. The gift of Love - The more we love God, the less fear we will have. The more we love others the less fear we will have.
3. The gift of a Sound Mind - Most of the time our harmful fears are the result of wrong thinking. But something happens when we are saved and begin to trust God. Our mind is renewed! When we think biblically we have a "sound mind". When we have a sound mind, fear just doesn't make sense.

If you are trusting in, drawing from, relying on, and believing in the one who has the power, He will give you the power you need! Conquering fear is not a matter of self determination, it is a matter of dependence on the God whom we can trust and love.

It is a matter of belief in His words, His promises, and His gifts to you. It is a matter of recognizing the devil's pitiful attempts at crippling you with fear and God’s majestic grace in giving you power, love and a sound mind.

Scripture: Philippians 4:13; John 1:12; Acts 1:8; Romans 15:13; Romans 16:25; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 1 John 4:18; Romans 12:2

Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes worry will cause so much stress that we become paralyzed, fear cripples our ability to thrive, and our joy is stolen from us. Please help us to be stronger. Fill us with confidence and an unwavering faith. No matter what may come our way, no matter what the unknown holds for us, please help us to remain confident in you! Amen

May God bless you,

Eileen