Overcoming Fear

Fear can be a bad thing but it can be a good thing to protect us from harm. Fearing crossing the street when cars and flying past is a good fear. But fear of man can paralyze us! Freedom is found through fearing God and not fearing man. What are you most afraid of? There are numerous phobias out there!

• Trichopathophobia - Fear of hair.
• Peladophobia - Fear of bald people.
• Melophobia - Fear of music.
• Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables.
• Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - Fear of long words (can you even pronounce that word?)
• Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth.
• Unatractiphobia - Fear of ugly people.
• Dromophobia - Fear of crossing the road.
• Pogonophobia - Fear of beards.
• Linonophobia - Fear of string.
• Clowns - Coulrophobia

Do you relate to any of these crazy fears? The truth is, many people are held hostage by fear. We fear rejection probably more than any other fear. Sometimes we find our identity on what others say about us instead of our identity being found in Jesus.

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7

What Fear Does?

• It slows potential: Apathy sets in and you never take risks to step out because of fear of what others might say.
• It scars relationships: It leads to unhealthy dependence with others.
• It stops joy in our life: Cynical by finding problems in yourself and others.

How does the fear of God overcome the fear of man?

Our tendency is to usually care more about man’s opinion often times more than God’s opinion. The truth is, God loves us. We are called to be overcomers of the fear of what others think!  Jesus set the ultimate example of loving us through the cross! The fear of God destroys worry about what other people think. No matter what people say, we are accepted through Jesus! No matter if we are rejected by men, we are accepted by our Heavenly father!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.  Psalm 34:4

Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear.  1 John 4:18

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

We need to live for the Audience of One! I will be rejected by people.  You will, too, if you are following Christ.  The fear of man is a trap! You and I have an opportunity to cave into the fear of being accepted by people every day! God loves you so much that he wants to have a personal and meaningful relationship with you. Don’t allow the incredible potential of this journey to be sabotaged by fear. God wants you to be free of fear and filled with boldness.

Are you living your life to be accepted by men or for an Audience of One?

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

How to be a Coward

What is a coward? "A person who lacks the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things," or "Excessively afraid of danger or pain (dictionary)." A coward is someone who lacks courage. We live in a culture that glorifies brutality, pride and selfishness. A real man of God is filled with courage. A courageous man will protect the lives of others. A coward looks only to protect themselves. How to be a coward:

1. Live in confusion. Constantly say, “what is wrong with it?” instead of "what is right with it?" Those who lead with wrong motives are mixed up on what is right or wrong. A coward is unable to find the truth because of fear of the consequences. Decisions are made on emotion and not on truth. A coward spends their day confused.

2. Always Criticize – A coward is always critical of authority. The coward will agree face to face but will go behind your back and talk negatively of you. A coward rebels against authority and mocks their parents. They put down others to uplift themselves. A coward never encourages others. A coward can find problems with everyone else and not themselves. A coward hurts others.

3. Compromise – They will take a shortcut at any cost to get AHEAD. A coward will do whatever it takes to make themselves look right in any situation.

To be courageous we have to go through trials and struggles. In Psalm 56:11 the psalmist writes, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."  ~C.S. Lewis

We have a decision. Are we going to live in confusion, criticism and compromise? God has called us to not fear and trust in His power. The next blog post, we will look at what it looks like to be courageous!

What are your thoughts?  

No Fear - Psalm 23

(I'm on a mission trip right now in Africa, I would appreciate your prayers) We all have some type of fear no matter how big or small. The question is whether we will give into fear or find courage through a relationship with Christ?

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  ³ he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley,^[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.⁵ You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23

This passage of scripture is one of the most often quoted and best-loved in the entire Old Testament. However, despite all this, there is a section in this passage that has been widely misunderstood.  The attitude that was portrayed must be one that represents and focuses on missions. Understanding God’s protection in our lives, we are freed to serve Him and be provided for everything we need. A life of no fear results in reckless service to lift up the name of Jesus Christ. Missionaries all over the world have to live outside their own comfort zones and culture to reach the lost and that comes from not succumbing to the status quo.

We Should Ask God to be our Shepherd and make it personal. We know that He is always with us (Isaiah 41:10). If we are his, we will never been in need because He is our shepherd. Paul wrote that he is our "Abba father" in Romans 8:15.

The love and protection God gives will fuel our courage to follow at any cost. We will be rested and refreshed in our lives daily. Our souls will be restored and this will lead to steady, committed service to Jesus not because we have to, but because we get to! The sheep must stay close to the shepherd if they are to be fearless. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment, but he who fears has not been made perfect in love” 1 John 1:18.

In today’s world with reliable transportation and secure bank accounts we sometimes do not see much need in depending upon God. However, we must look back and see the results of David’s reliance on God. David was able to truthfully say that he would not fear even though he walked through a valley that was in the very proximity of death itself. The end result of David’s dependence upon and trust in God was a confidence that he was going to the “house of the Lord” after he died. In order for us to be able to experience the same results we must do as David. That is to be under the control of the Shepherd and be led by Him. To walk with the Lord is to think, act, and believe in Him with all of your heart. If we truly do this then we can truly say that no matter what happens, we will have no fear. Eternal hope is in Jesus and His power and guidance can help anyone live and glorify Him.

Will you live your life just to meet the status quo of culture, or will you seek the heart of Jesus? Will we deny ourselves and follow His command to go into all the world and preach the gospel? God’s power is always in full supply and we have been received a biblical mandate for missions in order to glorify God.