What are you afraid of? If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we are afraid of something…..right? Personally, I detest snakes, spiders, and most slithery creatures. But what about the fears that we cannot necessarily touch with our hands, such as fear of failure, loneliness, inadequacy (what pastor’s or minister’s wife has not faced this fear!), rejection, persecution, failing health, insufficient finances, and many more than I could possibly name. These fears are very real, and the effect that they have on us can be debilitating.
Fear is bad enough, but worry also likes to “hang out” with fear, and these two feelings can wreak havoc in a person’s life. For me, the best place to go to see how to deal with fear and worry is God’s Word. Our Lord has some things to say on the subject, and here are a few verses to help us when fear and worry come knocking on the door of your heart and mind. The Scriptures say:
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) (This is our VBS theme verse this year!) God has given us power…we have the Holy Spirit, and we don’t have to be afraid.
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10 (NASB) God is our protector, and He is ALWAYS with us.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (NASB) We are commanded by our Lord to be strong and have courage, and once again He promises to be with us at all times and in all places.
So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (NASB) The Lord is in all our “tomorrows”. We can trust Him to provide for the future.
When I am afraid, I will trust in You. Psalm 56:4 (NIV) We can completely trust our God to ease our fearful hearts.
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. Matthew 6:27 (NLT) Our lives are not extended, nor the quality of our lives enhanced by fear and worry.
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4 (NIV) How wonderful of the Lord to promise to take care of and sustain us even into our “golden years”.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but we can see from the Scriptures that we have promises from a Faithful God that we don’t have to succumb to fearful and worrisome thoughts.
So when those kissing cousins fear & worry start to invade your mind and heart, and incite you to take your focus away from the Lord, remember His Word. Sometimes our own flesh and the enemy of our souls, Satan, are relentless in getting us to take our minds off of Christ.
So what do you do when fear and worry come knocking? DON’T ANSWER THE DOOR! Let’s face our fears and take those anxious thoughts and make them “obedient to Christ”. 2 Corinthians 10:5
1 comment:
How I miss attending VBS during my childhood days :)) It was a lot of fun, great children songs and lessons about Jesus and the bible. Fond memories. Something worth doing during summer.
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