Unshackled Moments ~ September 12 ~ Stop Fighting With Fear

Fear is an evil, corroding thread; the fabric of our lives is shot through with it.

- Bill Wilson

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

-Yoda

The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear -- primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands.

- Twelve And Twelve

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

- Isaiah 43:1

Fear. It hurts us. Anxiety and worry literally subtract seconds from our life expectancy even as they suck the peace, joy and hope from the present second. Engaging fear isn't just a waste of time, but it wastes more time than we spend doing it. Fear drives us, and usually in the wrong direction.

Eve feared God was holding out something good and so she took the forbidden fruit. Adam feared Eve's response to him saying no, so he also took the fruit. They both then hid from God in shame. This is the illustrious start of the human race, and we've been running and hiding and worrying and fretting and killing ourselves reacting to fear every since. We are born screaming and afraid.

Fear is the enemy of faith, of peace, of joy, of hope and of life. Fear not, do not be afraid and a few other similar phrases are placed all throughout scripture. It is one of the biggest and most life changing messages after the main theme that God, the mighty creator of the universe, actually loves us and wants a relationship with us. The two themes even get combined on more than one occasion when we are told things like perfect love casts out fear.

Many of us know that most, if not all of the self started bondage in our lives was caused when we tried to find an answer or an escape from our fears outside of God.. Then we have all this scripture, recovery material and spiritual philosophy out there telling us that we need to be rid of fear. It can be easy to fall into condemnation when we feel afraid. We can start believing the lie that it means we're not loving God or loved by Him. We can belittle ourselves for our lack of faith and feel as though we have to rid ourselves of fear before we can go to God. Lies.

We can no more rid ourselves of fear than we can rid ourselves of selfishness and sin. We need grace. One of my favorite verses on the subject of fear is this:

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. 

- Psalm 56:3

I also love the reminder in I Peter 5 telling me that I can cast, throw on, drop the heavy load I am carrying with a sigh and great relief, my cares, anxieties and fears on Jesus, because He cares for me. That's another of those places where the two themes of God's love and releasing fear meld. This verse from Psalm and the selection of I Peter remind me that I'm never going to rid myself of fear. When I am afraid I will choose to trust God. The psalmist didn't say because I trust God I am never afraid. The fact that I can throw my fear to Jesus like a hot potato burning  my hands means I'm going to have cares and anxieties and fears. It's not that I suddenly reach a place where fear never rises up within me.

It's that I reach a place where I remember the treatment for the sickness of fear. It's the same grace that treats selfishness and self will run riot. It's the power of the Spirit that helps me walk through the Valley of the Shadow without fear stopping me or having control over me. Don't fight fear. Don't rise up and determine within yourself to increase your faith and squash fear before approaching Daddy. Faith is a gift from Daddy. You can't increase it any more than you can decrease your fear. Take Him your fears. Here I am Lord, all of me, the good and the bad, the full of faith and the fickle and fearful. Help me walk with You. Help me trust in You. Help me be not afraid.



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