by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
We have all faced fear at some time in our lives. The
violence affecting our world today can instill apprehension if we allow these
images to take precedence over our thoughts.
If we give in, anxiety can deter us from success in our
lives and can cause physical health problems.
Here are 4 ways fear influences us:
1. Fear paralyzes and disrupts decision making. When we
are not thinking clearly, we grasp at whatever sounds good now and we may act
impulsively.
2. Fear divides. Political climates, social media, and
news reports all contain various opinions. Escalated emotions can lead to
fights and violence either physically or verbally.
3. Fear overrides hope. When we look at circumstances
through the lens of discouragement, we see no resolution to the problem.
4. Fear defeats success. When dread is the prominent
thought, there is no room for productivity or creativity. With no hope for the
future there is no motivation for growth.
God tells us time after time in His Word to fear not. Of
course, He knows the frailty of our humanity, and He knew we would face
situations that cause alarm. That’s why He gave us His Word as our weapon to
combat fear.
King David faced hopeless situations more than once. When he
and his men experienced the loss of their families, David’s response was to
encourage himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6).
Another psalmist wrote, Why
are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God
for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 43:6 NKJV)
We can learn from David’s example and encourage ourselves in
the Lord by following these solutions for peaceful thoughts:
- Prayer – stay in fellowship with God. Not just to ask Him to take away the afflicting thing, but to fellowship with Him in praise and thanksgiving for who He is—the Almighty, the Omniscient, the King of the universe.
- Provision of God – He provides for our needs when we trust Him to do so. We shouldn’t panic when prices soar, or supply chains are slow or empty for a time (Philippians 4:19).
- Protection of God – He gives us His angels to guard and protect us (Psalm 91).
- Power of God – He is able to do abundantly more than we can ask or think if we depend on the power that dwells within us (Ephesians 3:20).
- Promises of God –God tells us He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
As we learn to live in Christ’s purpose for our lives, we
will be able to resist the devil’s tactics more easily because we will be able
to recognize that none of this dismay comes from God.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts.
Image by Jill
Wellington from Pixabay
A wonderful word!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteExcellent!
ReplyDeleteThank you, blessings!
DeleteFear is definitely paralyzing and you are right--it is only through our Father that we are given the courage to go forward in spite of our fear. Such an encouraging message, Barbara, thank you!
ReplyDeleteYes, Katherine, it is through Him that we are given the courage to go forward. We do need to be reminded to stand on His Word and keep going. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteFear is really harmful to not only our walk with Jesus, but also to our life in general. I vow to not cave it to fear, but to follow David's example instead. Very motivating, Barbara!
ReplyDeleteYes, fear is harmful to our lives in many ways. The stress it causes can bring us unwelcome consequences. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Blessings!
DeleteFear is at the root of many of the anxiety problems of today. And it's hard to overcome. Your message offers hope to those who don't know Christ.
ReplyDeleteYes, Candyce, fear is hard to overcome when we try to do it on our own. I do pray that this message offers hope to those who don't know Christ, and that they will turn to Him. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteLots of messages on fear these days. I think it’s perfect timing for your great message Barbara.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that so much fear pervades us these days. Thankfully, with our Savior, we have hope. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Yvonne,. Blessings!
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