OVERCOMING FEAR THROUGH GOD

I was on a walk the other day, talking to the Lord (I like to talk to him when I walk), and I asked Him what topic He would like me to touch on in the next video? And I heard, or felt on my heart “Fear.” “People are afraid and they need to know they can come to me.”

I had no idea it would be such a difficult topic to write on. I think I’ve sat down to script this video at least 10 times and each time I started writing from a different angle. The thing about fear is, if you start analyzing it, it is at the root of so much other "stuff", like distrust, irrationality, guilt, greed, illness, hate, violence, war - and on and on.

Fear does not encapsulate just one emotion, it cascades into every part of our lives. it’s like once the fear domino falls, the rest of your dominos are going down with it! Hence the phrase paralyzing fear. It really can stop you in your tracks.

But it isn’t any wonder that people are feeling fearful these days. No one can argue that the last couple of years has been rough. And now, as though the whole COVID thing wasn’t enough to topple us, we are dealing with more stuff! Like skyrocketing inflation, talk of food shortages, increasing crime, threats of cyber attacks, nuclear attacks, and rumors of WWIII. Scary stuff, right?

But in 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV) we are told: “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Let’s break it down. Since God didn’t give us a spirit of fear where did it come from? Why do we have it?

First, let me clarify, we are not talking about the kind of fear we feel when someone jumps out and says “boo!” Or the fight or flight response we experience when we are up against imminent danger. Today we are talking about the kind of fear that comes from the “what if’s” in our lives; the stuff that we can’t control.

Where did fear come from?

The first we hear of fear is in the Garden of Eden right after Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree God commanded them not to eat from. In Genesis 3:9-10 (NIV) we read: “But the Lord called out to the man, where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Fear is not a natural emotion for us. God did not give us a spirit of fear. Can you imagine what being afraid must have felt like to Adam and Eve? They knew nothing of fear. They had never felt fear, really, felt it. You and I have experienced it. You know what I’m talking about, the feeling of your heart in your throat, spinning thoughts, trembling, etc., etc. I think it is safe to assume that Adam and Eve hadn’t experienced even one of those feelings before they sinned. It must have been horrifying to them to feel and know fear.

Now, we know that Adam and Eve were created with free will. Obviously, they were, or they wouldn’t have been able to choose whether or not to eat from the tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV) says 16 "And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'” Eve knew this command, too. Genesis 3:2-3 "The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” AND HERE COMES THE LIE 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 'For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'” It was the serpent - the devil - that tempted them with a lie. Adam and Eve chose to go against God and their eyes were opened to evil and then consequently fear. The devil, through his lies, and Adam and Eve’s through their sin, released the spirit of fear that day. So where did the spirit of fear come from? It came through the devil’s lies, by sin, released on mankind in the Garden of Eden.

How do we get rid of it?

On our own, there is little we can do to overcome fear for any length of time. We are taught to deal with it by using techniques like "face your fear!" "Visualize a happy place", "look at the evidence", and so on. At times these techniques do work. But what happens when becomes overpowering? What do we do then?

In Psalm 55:22 (NLT) we are told: "Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."

“Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) tells us: "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.”

We overcome fear by calling upon the Lord. We give “our burdens” to Him. Turn to Him when you are fearful and he will strengthen you, help you, and take care of you. He will uphold you with his righteous right hand.

Also, take inventory of what you are filling your head with. If it’s 24/7 news feeds, media or games racked with violence and/or dark themes, you may be fueling your fears.

There is a reason Paul tells us in Philippians 4;8 (NIV) “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” Try taking a day or so and just immersing yourself in the “good stuff” I did a video on this. I hope you will watch it.

A media break really helps to keep things in perspective. I do it often.

One final thought on 2 Timothy 1:7: We are told that God gave us a spirit of power and a spirit of self-control. We do have the power to nip fear in the bud, before it takes hold. Do preventative maintenance. Clean up what you are focusing on. If it’s world events, and I’m not suggesting you don’t stay apprised of what is going on, but limit your input time. Do use critical thinking. Sometimes we hear a notion so much that we begin to believe it. Think for yourself always leaning into the Word of God. Also, try not to put yourself in harm’s way, either physically, or spiritually. Be mindful of where, and with whom you hang out. Should, frightening thoughts cross your mind, ask yourself, are these rational thoughts? Are they true? When you feel fear is creeping in call upon God, immediately - ask Him for clarity and truth, strength and courage. He will deliver! He wants you to come to Him with your burdens and your fears. God is always bigger than your fears.

Here is a prayer you can modify to fit your own needs:

Lord, thank you for your love, your mercy, kindness, and grace; and hallowed be your name. Lord, in this uncertain and fearful time I give my burdens over to you. The burdens that make me feel fearful, I give them to you. I come to you Lord, knowing that you are always with me. You tell me not to fear and not to be dismayed because you are my God and will strengthen me and help me and I believe you. Lord, I ask that you strengthen me and help me now, and with your righteous hand, uphold me and cast out the spirit of fear within me and replace it with your peace. Thank you, Lord, for taking my burdens and helping me, thank you for hearing this prayer, and I ask these things in the mighty name of your son Jesus Christ, Amen.

Until next time, may God keep you close, and may you remember to call upon the Lord when you are feeling fearful.

Blessings to you!

Joellen