"The entrance of thy words giveth light (Psalm 119:130)."
Dealing With Fear
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." {Isaiah 41:10 NIV}
"For we live by faith, not by sight" {2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV}
In order for you to benefit from this article, it is necessary to first get saved.
First: “. . . the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” {President Franklin D. Roosevelt}
Fear is dangerous.
Be afraid of giving in to fear.
You are never safe when you give in to fear.
Everything in this life is manageable by trusting God, obeying God and walking wisely.
When you're afraid, you are not trusting God.
Second: more information follows.
Satan will create thoughts and/or emotional distress, at strategic times, with the objective of getting you to react with fear.
Relevant Scriptures follow.
" . . . do not be frightened " {1 Peter 3:14 NIV}
" . . . fear involves torment." {1 John 4:18 NKJV}
Fear is a sin that results in emotional torment.
Fear gives power to the devil—a lot of power.
Instead of giving in to fear, trust in the Lord.
"Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." {Philippians 4:13 NASB}
You have to believe this!
You have to believe that, by trusting God, you are adequate to successfully deal with every challenge that you face.
You have to trust God, from your heart, for whatever challenge you are facing.
This is not easy, but it is essential.
Faith is always a choice.
Third: "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]" {John 14:27 AMPC}
Two steps are required to overcome fear. These are used whenever challenges come up:
- Trust God.
- Act like you trust God.
Practice doing this.
This will become easier over time.
Choose to not be afraid of anybody or anything.
Walk in the awareness that God is present.
Trust Him, every day, with every circumstance of your life.
Your faith will be tested from time to time. Don't fail these tests.
If you do fail a test, be sure that you will get another chance to re-take the test. Not recommended.
It is necessary to trust God at all times with all things—especially with what you're most afraid of.
Fourth: A practical example follows.
I had good success, working in a jail ministry, by driving this point home. These men, once they were released, could succeed if they continued to pray, continued to read their Bible daily, continued to try and did not give up their faith—despite the stark reality of their circumstances.
Poverty, unemployment and family rejection are no impediments to trusting God. Nothing is.
I remember once that I had only one client who had returned to the jail I was working at. He would not read his Bible and was determined to get rich selling drugs. He was an intelligent and capable man, but he still failed to succeed.
Fifth: Watch your self-talk.
Keep your thoughts positive and constructive, rational and comforting. Correct negative thoughts.
What you say to yourself is much more important than what anybody else says about you.
Talk to yourself like you'd like a good friend to counsel you. Or how you would encourage a child you love.
Even when you give in to sin, as we all do at times, still watch your self-talk.
Sixth: "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." {Psalm 55:22 NASB}
Practice turning your challenges over to God, trusting Him and waiting for Him to make it clear what to do.
You might want to review the series entitled How to Cast a Burden. Another link is provided at the end of the article.
Seventh: Seek out wise counsel and emotional support from others, when needed.
"Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory." {Proverb 11:14 NASB}
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." {Galatians 6:2 ESV}
Eighth: Trust & obey. Trust God and obey God.
These things go together, and both are required to overcome fear. Also, remember, only God can protect you from everything.
Ninth: "The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." {Proverbs 29:25 NKJV}
Cowering before others makes it much more difficult to forgive them and unforgiveness results in anxiety and/or depression.
Again, trust & obey. Say what you need to say; do what you need to do.
Of course, do walk wisely. Sometimes you do need to simply let things go.
Tenth: Don't turn to idolatry:
"You shall have no other gods before Me." {Exodus 20:3-5 NASB}
"Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." {Proverbs 11:28 NIV}
Trust ONLY in God.
Be thankful for money and other blessings God has given you, but don't allow them to captivate your heart. Otherwise, you're guilty of the sin of idolatry. And you will suffer negative consequences, in some way, sooner or later.
The last thing you need is, for example, an injury to teach you to stay away from idolatry.
Getting involved in ministry is a great way to avoid idolatry.
Tithing is also very important.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." {Matthew 6:21 NKJV}
Eleventh: Reciting Scripture daily, and daily affirmations, based on Scripture, will help you to make progress. Some examples follow:
- "Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
- I am strong in the Lord. {Ephesians 6:10}
- I have a sound mind. {2 Timothy 1:7}
- I have the mind of Christ. {1 Corinthians 2:16}
- I am an overcomer. {1 John 5:4}
- I will act like a man. {1 Corinthians 16:13}
Twelfth: Teaching courage is a part of good parenting.
Parents can also teach their children to be courageous with their peers when these teaching opportunities arise. It will greatly improve the quality of their lives.
Thirteenth: Remember:
- " . . . fear involves torment." {1 John 4:18 NKJV}
- "Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
- "For we live by faith, not by sight" {2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV}
Fourteenth, some helpful Scriptures follow.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." {Isaiah 41:10 NIV}
"Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." {Psalm 62:8 NIV}
"The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?" {Psalm 27.1 NASB}
"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}
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." {Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV}
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." {Matthew 10:28 NASB}
"The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." {Proverbs 29:25 NKJV}
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." {John 14:27 NIV}
"Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them." {Jeremiah 1:17 NIV}
"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." {1 Corinthians 16:13 NASB}
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." {Philippians 4:13 NKJV}
"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." {Psalm 56:3 NKJV}
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever." {Psalm 125:1 NIV}
"In quietness and trust is your strength." {Isaiah 30:15 NASB}
Finally: The following are also recommended:
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