Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NKJV
Fear is an emotion, caused by the belief, rightly or wrongly, real, or perceived, that something or someone is dangerous or a threat. Fear is an emotional state that occurs in every person at points in their lives.
We live in an uncertain and insecure world. We live in a violent world. We live in a world full of crises. It is natural to respond to a physical threat or danger with fear and then take action to eliminate that threat. Presently, we live under the threat of this COVID-19 virus, and we are taking action to eliminate that threat.
Fear is part of our basic and innate survival emotion that responds to an external or internal stimulus, and it is an emotion that is inherent in everyone.
If someone has no feeling of fear at all, it could be detrimental to their physical wellbeing. Can you imagine just walking onto a motorway because you don’t fear being knocked down? Or you see your child about to step on a poisonous snake and you are not gripped by fear?
A survival-related fear (a thing) leads you to make rational decisions to protect yourself and those around you. It is what makes us look left, right, and then left again before we cross the road. It guides the decisions we make daily to protect, nurture and care for ourselves and our families. Yet, this could also lead us to become obsessive about protecting ourselves and our families.
The fear that you must fight is the one that controls you, keeps you in bondage, preventing you from living your life to the fullest and doing things that make you happy. The fear that you must fight is the one that is a barrier between you and God, preventing you from taking Him at His Word. The fear that keeps you immobile, frightened, physically sick, and emotionally traumatised is not healthy.
Fear operates through our senses. It comes from what we see, hear, think, or feel. There is an adage that says see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Unfortunately, this is not very easy when it comes to fear. Followers of Christ live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When you focus on your problems you can’t see the solution or the resources you need. You become paralyzed with fear. You can’t think, you can’t act, and you end up taking flight.
A good example of this is seen in the Bible, in 1 Samuel 13: 5- 7. The Israelites were confronted by the mighty army of the Philistines. The Bible recorded 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of the sand. The sight caused the Israelites to run and hide. They forgot that they had a God who fights their battles. They lost sight of God. King Saul did the unthinkable by sacrificing the burnt offering himself, despite having been told to wait by the Prophet Elijah. He lost the kingdom because he gave in to his fear and disobeyed God. But one fearless man, Jonathan, who was strong in faith, took only his amour bearer with him and God made the Philistines flee.
Fear causes a negative action or reaction. Our response to fear could harm our relationships because it affects the way we view life, the decisions we make, and the actions we take. When fear takes root in our mind, it brings about anxiety, stress, illness, depression, unhappiness not only to us but also to those around us.
Fear paralyses you. You lose courage. The apostle Peter was walking on water, fearlessly focused on Jesus, until he noticed his surroundings and became fearful.
Fear can lead you to make stupid and disastrous decisions. The fear of insecurity led Jeroboam, king of Israel, to set up idol worship so that his people would not go to Judah to worship the True God. This brought disaster to his house. We lose sight of God in our situations when we let our fear control us. As a child of God, none of these fears have control over us.
Fear is a tool in the hand of the devil. He makes the threat appear quite real to fool you. The two most common roots of human problems are fear and pride. Man has a natural desire to be better than the next person. The awareness of our limitations allows fear to take root in our hearts. The devil and his demons’ prey on these two elements in man. But as a child of God, remember that only the counsel of the Lord concerning you shall stand. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). The enemy uses it as a snare. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe (Proverbs 29:25).
Fear leads to bondage and keeps you in bondage (Hebrew 2:15). It keeps you immobile. There is no progress in your life. A life of fear will not make you live the life that God has purposed for you. You would be afraid to take that step of faith, to try out new things, and be willing to take any risk.
Fear is a torment (1 John4:18). When you are in torment, you are in emotional pain, life has no meaning. Fear is the first step in the oppression of the enemy. When you live in fear, you become discouraged, from discouragement you get depressed and from depression you become suicidal.
Fear finds its roots in an unfulfilled life, one that is still searching and uncertain. When we are focused on God and clear about our purpose in His plan, we can fight any fear that wants to derail us. Are you living your purpose?
It is possible to live a fearless life except for the fear of Elohim God.
To be continued
PrayerfortheWeek
Almighty Father, thank you for the gift of my life. Thank you for the gift of my salvation. The spirit of fear has no power over me. I appropriate the power in the redemptive work of Christ Jesus over my life. I have the spirit of power, of love, and of sound mind. In the name of Yeshua, I pray. Amen.
If you accept Jesus or turned back to him, please get in touch. I am so excited! You give me hope and joy and are my proud reward and crown when I stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns. Yes, you are our pride and joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT)
Inbox me, email me, just get in touch. I want to join you in prayers every day
My email is info@adeolaakintoye.com
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