Scriptures: Genesis 3:10, Matthew 17:20, Hebrews 11:1

 

Choose faith over fear

Fear has been around since the earliest of days.  It was one of the first emotions expressed in the Scriptures after the fall of man.  Adam said to God, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid’.  We humans lean towards being afraid.  We read throughout the Scriptures of men and women, like you and I, who were worried or fearful.  But, God!  God showed them how to overcome their fears, and He is faithful to do that for you as well.

So, what does fear do? Fear prompts us to cover up what we really feel. Think about it for a moment. Whether you face a fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of not being enough, fear of losing control, fear of violence, fear of illness or death, or any kind of phobia, you will end up hiding. Fear causes people to hide by disguising who they really are from others (even from themselves at times) or to pretend to be someone else. Fear leads to people hiding from God much like Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

If you wrestle with any form of fear, be encouraged in the fact that others have gone before you and have defeated this stronghold. It takes courage to face your fears.  

Choose today to trust in God to help you by placing your faith in Him. He will empower you with all you need to overcome your fear(s). Faith is something you can choose to exercise as you engage in this battle against fear. Don’t listen to the lie that you cannot defeat it. You only need a little amount of faith to move that mountain. Faith will grow as it feeds on the truth of the Word of God. Faith can bring your hope into reality. 

Today, choose faith over fear.  When fear comes knocking, will it find faith standing at the door? 

How can you choose faith today?

Scriptures: Psalms 121:1-2, Romans 5:5

 

Choose hope over despair

I’ve known the face of fear in my lifetime. As a child, I struggled with being afraid of rejection. It manifested in the form of me believing that if I performed well, then I would be loved more. Later, as an adult, having survived an armed robbery with my young children at home, fear of being attacked again and fear of not being able to protect my children at night reared its ugly head. Fear often strikes us when we least expect it.  

In my journey to overcome the stronghold of fear, I have learned that fear is not of the Lord. He longs for us to live a life free from its grips. Over time and with the grace of the Lord, He has shown me how to overcome my fears. Whatever your battle might be, you can overcome it as you place your hope in the saving power of Jesus Christ. You cannot conquer fear in your own strength. Every day, I had to choose hope over despair. My encouragement to you as you read this devotional is to choose hope.

Hope, by its nature, is future-focused. It has its foundation firmly secure in trusting in God. Hope in your heart can give you the strength you need to conquer your specific fear. In an atmosphere of praise and worship, hope can arise. So, today, if you feel like despairing, don’t give up. Lift your head and worship God. Hope in God will not disappoint you, and hope will give you the courage to continue on the journey of overcoming fear. 

When fear knocks at your door, let hope answer for you.

Reflect today on hope. What do you need to do to let hope arise in your heart?

Scriptures: Luke 10:27, 1 John 4:18, Zephaniah 3:17

Choose love over hate

Psychologists say that the base of all emotions is either love or fear. The brain also dictates that it cannot hold two contradictory thoughts simultaneously and that the most robust thought pattern wins. In your battle against fear, one of the greatest weapons at your disposal is love. You are loved—more than you know. Once you realize how very loved you are, you can garner the strength to fight this spirit of fear. God gives us a spirit of love and not one of fear.  

Learn to live—loved. A loving heart is a loved heart. You cannot say you love others yet hate yourself—or them. Fear would have you traverse the complex road of unforgiveness and hate. These two concepts bind you further in chains. A forgiving heart is a forgiven heart and in that, there is no place for hate. Fear will lie to you and keep you captive, whereas love guides you into freedom. Love is the way of the kingdom of God.  

My daughter and I prayed, shortly after the armed robbery, to forgive the men who attacked us, and we had to do it numerous times. God’s love quiets our anxious or fearful hearts. His love enables us to forgive and bless. It’s not easy, but that is the narrow road of the Kingdom of God.

When fear knocks at your door with its accomplices, unforgiveness, and hate, then respond in the opposite spirit and let love lead.  

How can you embrace the love of God so that you can be set free from the chains of fear?

Scriptures: Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8

Choose right thinking over toxic thinking

In your battle to conquer fear, you will most likely find the conflict raging within your mind and emotions. No thought should ever enter your mind unchecked. We are guided by the Word of God to renew our minds to think full, clear thoughts. This can happen by learning how to think about things according to the spirit of God. We renew our minds through reframing our thought patterns with the truth of the Word, and by replacing toxic thoughts with God’s thoughts.  

With our minds, we think about things that are true and good. Then our emotions should follow suit. The challenge comes when we let our feelings lead our mind and thought processes. Emotions can be fickle, at the best of times. God did create feelings, but He created them to follow.

Emotions are, by nature, followers. They were never meant to lead us, but instead, follow the truth. Truth is a great leader. We read and obey the Word of God, thereby allowing it to shape our feelings. It is a skill you can cultivate. I had to learn to surrender my feelings to the truth of God’s word and then listen carefully to what He said to me. Let your emotions wave the white flag so that truth can lead you.  

When fear comes knocking and makes you feel overwhelmed or anxious, don’t give it access to your emotions. Instead, let truth answer the door and give clear directions.  

What thinking patterns of yours need to be renewed today? What truth is God speaking to you about right now?

Scriptures: Luke 9:24-25, John 10:10-11, 2 Timothy 1:7

Choose surrender over striving

There is a certain beauty that comes when we surrender our lives to the Lord. In that place of surrender, we receive the power from God to be more than a conqueror. We are no longer a slave to fear because of our position in Christ. The final choice this week is to surrender your very life instead of striving to defeat your fear(s) in your own strength.

We follow Jesus’ example. In learning to overcome, we must first lay our lives down. We yield our will to the Lord. We surrender our feelings to Him. We abandon our very lives. When we learn to surrender to the One who created us, we become free.  

I discovered that when I gave up my fears to the Father and I received His love, I was able to start healing. Fear no longer had a hold over me.  I was ready to embrace living a fearless life because as a child of God, I could overcome. It was by His power and strength that I could let truth lead—that I could apply wisdom to my lifestyle—to make right decisions and changes that lead to the wellbeing of my life and my family. It’s not by my own strength. I could not conquer fear without the power of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding me.

God wants to heal you from any form of fear. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as you surrender your fears to Him. Listen to His voice. Learn to think full, clear thoughts and walk free. You can live free because Christ has set you free from fear in all its forms. 

Live a surrendered life because that’s the key to living a fearless life.

What do you need to surrender to God as you conclude this devotional?