January 13, 2019
Scare Pollution: Unlocking the Chokehold of Fear (Part 2)
Below you will find an audio of the devotion being read for you, followed by the written devotion. Listen on the go, listen as you read along, or enjoy reading it without the audio. God bless!
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].” – 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)
The Not-So-Fantastic-Four
John Newton, the author of the famous Hymn Amazing Grace said, “If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer – His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.”
John Newton, the author of the famous Hymn Amazing Grace said, “If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer – His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.”
As we mentioned yesterday in our devotion, when we are born, we only possess two natural fears – the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Unfortunately, that list of fears grows throughout our lives. We accumulate many more fears as we experience disappointments, betrayals, scary encounters, and the like. From the strange, to the common, there are a myriad of fears categorized by psychologist and sociologists. We may even be afraid of finding out what we are afraid of. With the diminishing levels of love, trust, and security in our society, fear will only become more widespread.
Thankfully we have the answer in Jesus Christ! Placing our faith in God will ultimately overcome fear…no matter what the fear is.
In Soul Detox, Pastor Groeschel presents the idea that most adult fears fall under into one of 4 categories. We will briefly examine those four categories and explore how faith in God overcomes them. We don’t just want to acknowledge fear today, we want to FOCUS on the one who helps us overcome fear!
1. Fear of Loss
The fear of loss often manifests itself in our relationships.
The fear of loss often manifests itself in our relationships.
We can become perpetually afraid of losing our children. While it is good to do our best to protect and guide our children, and some parents would do well to be more concerned, an unhealthy fear of losing them causes us needless anxiety. I don’t know if this has happened to anyone else, but I have had panicked thoughts of something horrible happening to one of my precious daughters. To overcome, I must quickly give those things to God, because if not, I will suffer horrible anxiety.
Maybe for you it is the fear of losing a spouse. Maybe you are afraid your spouse will cheat on you, or you are afraid they are going to die.
Maybe you are afraid of financial loss. You are afraid your investments will fail. Maybe you fear losing your job. Maybe it is the fear of losing everything to a natural disaster. Maybe you fear losing control. Maybe you are afraid of losing your own life to disease or some tragic accident.
Whatever the case, the words of Charles Spurgeon should be considered. He said, “The worst evils of life are those which do not exist except in our imagination. If we had no troubles but real troubles, we should not have a tenth part of our present sorrows.”
Instead of allowing our minds to be consumed with what we might lose, why don’t we appreciate it and enjoy it today. Instead of fearing the loss of a family member, enjoy spending time with them today.
Instead of fearing losing our life, give our life to God. Trust Him to protect us and guide us.
Instead of fearing the loss of money or financial security, GIVE to God. I know that is quite a paradox, but the Bible encourages us to GIVE our way to wealth.
Proverbs 11:24-25 (AMP)
24 There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more; And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.
25 The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown].
24 There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more; And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.
25 The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown].
Giving our relationships to God will set us free from the fear of loss.
2. Fear of Failure
The fear of failure often hinders us from fulfilling God’s ultimate purpose and plan for our lives. Yesterday we examined how Gideon was in hiding because he didn’t see himself as God saw him, as a mighty man of valor. Much of our fear of failure derives from us not seeing ourselves as God sees us.
The fear of failure often hinders us from fulfilling God’s ultimate purpose and plan for our lives. Yesterday we examined how Gideon was in hiding because he didn’t see himself as God saw him, as a mighty man of valor. Much of our fear of failure derives from us not seeing ourselves as God sees us.
You are a mighty man of valor.
You are a women of godly virtue.
We all possess incredible possibility! We can be ANYTHING God wants us to be! Notice I didn’t say, we can be anything we want to be. Just imagine if Shaquille O’neal wanted to be a horse jockey…I don’t think so. BUT we can be anything God wants us to be.
Seek what God wants you to be. Seek what God wants you to do. AND DO IT! Will you have some failures? Of course! But I agree with Clovis Chappell, when he said, “It is better to make a thousand failures than to be too cowardly to ever undertake anything.” I would rather try and fail than not try at all!
Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
Michael Jordan said,
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career.
I’ve lost almost 300 games
26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot … and missed.
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.”
He also said, “I can accept failure, but I cannot accept not trying.”
We can overcome the fear of failure by stepping out and doing what God is calling us to do!
3. Fear of Rejection
For good reason, many of us battle fears of rejection and abandonment. Perhaps we were rejected or abandoned by someone we deeply cared about or relied upon.
For good reason, many of us battle fears of rejection and abandonment. Perhaps we were rejected or abandoned by someone we deeply cared about or relied upon.
Some single people never ask anyone out because they are afraid to be rejected. Some married people constantly suspect their spouse is going to leave them or be unfaithful to them. Some children live in perpetual fear that their parents will never approve of them.
Sometimes we are controlled and manipulated by others. We are become consumed by a people-pleasing mindset that is anchored in the fear of rejection.
So how do we overcome the fear of rejection? Find your acceptance primarily in Jesus. When we live to please God, we know that He will never leave us or forsake us. When we please Him first, we will live in a way that seeks to please others, but in a balanced, loving, and healthy way – that has appropriate boundaries. Of course, we all have a human need to be accepted by others, and I am not nullifying that. Notice my emphases upon making Jesus our primary source of acceptance.
Activate your faith in God, live for Him in every way – your time, your appearance, your attitude, your relationships – stop and ask God what He wants you to do…and you will discover a freedom from the fear of rejection. And you will find that God will connect you with people that will truly love and accept you.
4. Fear of the Unknown
All of us, on some level, struggle with a fear of the unknown.
All of us, on some level, struggle with a fear of the unknown.
Will there be a massive earthquake that destroys the West Coast? Will my company go out of business or hire someone to take my position? Will my marriage last? Will my friends be committed to me? Will my children live for Jesus? Will my car start tomorrow? Will my roof cave in? Will I die in an elephant stampede on an African Safari? Will monkeys be used to employ biological warfare? Will Elvis make a comeback? Will aliens invade, take over the earth, and make us do the Macarena dance 8 hours a day?
Our fears can be realistic, or downright ridiculous! Either way, it is not God’s will for us to live in fear of tomorrow. Try to be wise and plan for it, but don’t fear it.
Matthew 6:31-34 NLT encourages us:
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
When we ACTIVATE OUR FAITH by putting God FIRST, we are able to rest in the calm assurance that He will provide everything we need. We don’t have to fear the future when we put God FIRST in EVERYTHING!
It takes GREAT FAITH to put God FIRST in EVERYTHING, and that is why it is so RARE. But GREAT PEACE comes when we PUT GOD FIRST!
Conclusion
As we conclude today, let me encourage you with one more verse.
Romans 8:38 NLT
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
Isn’t that a comforting verse… neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow can separate us from God’s love.