Fear. Fear is the one emotion everyone has experienced in their life no matter how big or small the problem may be. It may be a fear of the future, fear of failure, fear of making wrong decisions, etc. When fear gets a hold of our mind, it can change our way of thinking and cause us to live in anxiety. Why does this happen? The devil uses the tactics of fear to draw us away from God and focus on the problem instead of Him.
In God’s word, it states “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV) This verse alone shows us that God does not give us fear but rather peace. We were never intended to live life being burdened with troubles. Instead, we were intended to live by faith and let the Lord direct our lives.
The devil wants us to live in fear instead of faith. Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear causes us to focus on the problem instead of God. When we have faith, we are calling on Jesus and the devil has to flee. The devil fears and trembles at the name of Jesus!
How do we gain this faith in our life? One of the methods we should use is intentionally spending time with Jesus and reading the Bible. When something is done intentional, it means it was planned or purposed. When we purposely spend time with Jesus, this strengthens our faith because we know what the word of God says. When we know this, we cannot be easily shaken no matter what the devil tries to put in our way.
We also grow in our faith by spending much time in prayer. Prayer allows us to communicate with Jesus and share what is on our heart. God longs for you to come and talk to Him. However, when we come to God, we must believe that He will answer our prayer.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (NKJV).
Maybe, you have a fear of what the future holds for you. We are taught that what we do in the present will affect our future. Maybe you feel like you did something wrong, and your life might go in the wrong direction. When we read God’s word, He promises that everything will work out together for good for those who love Him. God holds our life in His hands and has a purpose for everything even if we do not understand.
However, when fear comes in, God also promises to be a present help when we call out to Him. If you are struggling with fear, take it one day at a time and allow God’s Word to have the final authority in your life.
When the devil comes to tempt you, rebuke it and heed to what God says. God will bring you peace in the situation you have fear in. Trust God today and remember, that God never promises evil, only good in your life if you love Him and serve Him faithfully.
Challenge for this week: Write down some fears you are currently experiencing. Once done, study the Bible and find out what it says about handling your fear. How will you overcome this fear?