Did you know that fear is mentioned 365 times in the Bible? That means that God wants to remind us every single day of the year not to be afraid. He knows that the enemy will use fear (and her two cousins:worry and anxiety) to keep us preoccupied.
The title of today’s blog post is inspired by the book “Who Moved My Cheese”, a story of 4 characters that represents those who go far in life because they were willing to take risks vs those who allow fear to hold them back. I would highly recommend this book because of the lesson it teaches with regards to fear.
The main goals of Fear
Fear is a liar. It tells us that we are not good enough, we can’t do it, we will fail, we’re not worthy and its main aim is to trap us in our current state so that we never get to achieve God’s purpose in our lives. It tends to hold us back and If allowed to grow, this spirit will aim to completely steal, kill and destroy. Whenever you are scared, know that you are under attack because fear is not of God but comes from Satan.
How does fear manifest?
Fear tends to creep into our lives in a very subtle manner. It will usually come in form of a thought which when allowed to take root quickly consumes our hearts and minds.
One of my favorite scriptures on this topic is 2 Timothy 1:7 which tells us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
This verse clearly shows us that when we walk in fear, then we relinquish the power that Jesus gave us to the enemy and are walking in defeat. Being fearful also means that we have no love. The Bible says that “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).” Lastly, those that live in fear are not of sound mind and are therefore living in a state of confusion and they lack clarity of mind.
How do we Overcome Our Fears?
It’s really simple; by having faith in God. Placing our faith in God meant that we acknowledge His might and when we begin to look to Him instead of paying attention to our worries and fear, they slowly begin to fade away. Things stop looking as scary as we thought they were when we stop paying attention to them.
Isaiah 41:10 tells us that “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
I love this verse so much that it’s on my desk as a sticky note to remind me anytime that I feel afraid that no matter the situation, that my Heavenly Father is with me and he will see me through it.
We also overcome any thoughts that cause us to be fearful by immediately renouncing any lies as soon as they pop up in our minds. I tend to quote scripture whenever I feel fearful and will repeat it till the thought goes away. (I quote 2 Timothy 1:7)
Guys, the Word of God is the most powerful weapon you can use against the enemy, it literally disarms him because it is the Word of the Most High God which is still alive. Counter the lie with the truth contained in God’s word.
By facing that thing that makes you fearful, you also overcome fear. The reason Satan will introduce fear into your life is to ensure that he kills whatever you are purposed to do before it starts. I noticed a certain pattern in my life in the past few months with regards to fear; whenever I was about to have a major breakthrough in my life I would become extremely fearful for no reason at all. But that was because Satan was trying to ensure that I continued to be bound by fear so that I never get to do that which God has spoken over my life.
Through overcoming fear and its cousins (worry and anxiety) we become free. I’m living my best life now as opposed to when I allowed fear to rule over me. Literally, every single aspect of my life has been transformed as a result of refusing to bow to my fears.
I challenge you to hand over your worries/anxieties/fears to God and see what He will. You will be amazed at how the thing that you thought you’d never be able to conquer is the thing He will use to transform your life and those of others. All God requires from us is that we cast all our fears unto Him because with Him nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).
