If you’ve ever experienced the tug deep in your heart
to do something you felt you were called to do, but held back out of
fear, you’ve got plenty of company. Fear is a major reason many people
fail to move forward in their lives; if we succumb to it, it will make
us miserable and destroy our confidence. We can be afraid of failure,
rejection, or what others think about us, but whatever form in which it
presents itself, fear will defeat us if we let it. Thankfully, the Word
of God holds the key to overcoming this deadly emotion.
Fear is a major force in the world, and most people are motivated by it. It’s a powerful feeling, but God is more powerful. When it shows up, God will always honor our decision to trust in Him instead of in how we feel. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3). Refusing to cave in to panic or intimidation empowers us to stand fearlessly.
“Fearless” is defined as being bold, brave, and courageous. To live fearlessly isn’t simply ignoring our feelings; it’s moving forward and doing what we know we should do despite how we feel. Fear is from the devil; God doesn’t want us to get caught in this painful emotion. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Most people don’t realize they’re fighting a spiritual battle against the enemy; the fight is over our minds and emotions, and who influences them.
God has no limits; fear causes us to place limitations on what we can
do as people created in His image. It continually reminds us of our
past mistakes and suggests that maybe we’re not good enough to get the
job done. Fear can make us discouraged and heavy-hearted. “Heaviness in
the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad”
(Proverbs 12:25). God loves us enough never to abandon us to fear’s
destructive effects.
There will always be opportunities for us to be afraid of something, but submitting to fear paralyzes us emotionally. It keeps us from thinking clearly, and can even hold us back from succeeding in life. A by-product of living in fear is that we can feel alone and isolated. God wants us to know that when we place our trust in Him, He’ll never leave us alone to struggle along by ourselves. “…For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5, AMPC).
We never have to feel like we’re helpless and overwhelmed by the situation. Whatever trouble we’re facing that seems too big for us to handle, we must remember that God is bigger, and nothing is stronger than His love for us. He’s ready to step in when we ask for His help in conquering whatever frightens us the most. “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). With His intervention, we can go from being timid and fearful to being bold and fearless.
Fear is a major force in the world, and most people are motivated by it. It’s a powerful feeling, but God is more powerful. When it shows up, God will always honor our decision to trust in Him instead of in how we feel. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3). Refusing to cave in to panic or intimidation empowers us to stand fearlessly.
“Fearless” is defined as being bold, brave, and courageous. To live fearlessly isn’t simply ignoring our feelings; it’s moving forward and doing what we know we should do despite how we feel. Fear is from the devil; God doesn’t want us to get caught in this painful emotion. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Most people don’t realize they’re fighting a spiritual battle against the enemy; the fight is over our minds and emotions, and who influences them.
There will always be opportunities for us to be afraid of something, but submitting to fear paralyzes us emotionally. It keeps us from thinking clearly, and can even hold us back from succeeding in life. A by-product of living in fear is that we can feel alone and isolated. God wants us to know that when we place our trust in Him, He’ll never leave us alone to struggle along by ourselves. “…For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5, AMPC).
We never have to feel like we’re helpless and overwhelmed by the situation. Whatever trouble we’re facing that seems too big for us to handle, we must remember that God is bigger, and nothing is stronger than His love for us. He’s ready to step in when we ask for His help in conquering whatever frightens us the most. “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). With His intervention, we can go from being timid and fearful to being bold and fearless.
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