Fear is a universal enemy. Everybody has an area in their
lives where they’re fearful. It is not wrong to be afraid. When we’re
overwhelmed by fear, the best thing to do is to eliminate it.
Fear is an invisible enemy yet it has struck down more
people than we want to admit. Right now, we’re gripped with the fear of the
Ebola virus or the fact that global terrorism is on the rise. There are many
other evils that exist in the world. We cannot stop fear from knocking on our
doors but how we respond to it
makes all the different.
Ambrose Redmoon said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that
something else is more important than fear.” Fear is always based on what’s
going to happen in the future. Fear
starts in our thinking, therefore we can stop it! When we allow a negative
thought to take root in our mind, we’re surrendering ourselves before we even
get to the battleground. Today, let’s look at five ways we can defeat fear.
Think
about what you think about. Your life will follow your thoughts. Our
mind is the breeding ground for good and evil therefore we have to protect our
thoughts. Prevention is better than cure. The Scripture says, “What I always
feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true” (Job 3:25 NLT). When we hear a negative report, we
have to immediately shake it off. The longer we linger in our fear, the
bigger it becomes in our mind. We have the power to choose faith or continue in
fear. Fear and faith work in the same way. Fear is reverse faith. Faith causes
us to focus on God’s ability. When we speak the Word of God over our lives,
we’re defeating fear before it can take root and become a stronghold in our
mind.
You
have insurance. The Bible talks about plagues and pestilence
before the second coming of our Lord. While the world gets darker and darker,
we, His children, can live without fear. When the Egyptians were facing their
worst nightmare with plagues, there was no evil in Goshen where the children of
the Israelites lived. You must know that there’s a difference between the
people of the world and you, the follower of Christ. Jesus has paid the full
premium on the insurance of fear. King David said, “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but
it will not come near you” (Psalm 91:7). You’re protected by the blood of
Jesus!
Look at the big picture. Early this year, I was ministering in Thailand, Laos,
and Cambodia. Enroute, we had to land in Tokyo, Japan. The weather was bad when
we landed. It was raining heavily and the sky was dark. Flashes of thunder and
lightning lit up the night skies. It was depressing and honestly, fear gripped
my heart. All sorts of negative thoughts began to cross my mind. Amazingly,
when our flight took off again, we were engulfed with bright sunshine and clear
weather in less than fifteen minutes. Against all my fears, we made a safe
landing and touched thousands of lives. Fear has a way of keeping us focused on
the present or our immediate future. It may look dark and scary right now but,
just above the rainclouds, sunshine awaits you. Instead of considering how big your
problem is, consider how big is your God.
Feed on positive. Unfortunately, bad news sells. Not too long ago, I met a
lady who was bragging about how her blog is read by thousands. When I checked
it out, it was full of negatives and bitterness about her past experiences.
That poison will kill you faster than a cobra. Don’t be drawn to negative
reports in the media or gossip. Spread the good news and shun the bad news.
You’d be smart to realize that news media is rehashing the same news over and
over with new packaging. It’s good to be informed but it’s not wise to be
influenced to make good decisions by negative media.
Pray instead of panic. Bad news will be coming at us no matter how hard we try.
We don’t have to be like the ostrich trying to hide our heads in the sand and
pretend that evil doesn’t exist. However, prayer is much more powerful than
fear. Every day I pray, “Thank you Lord,
for safety, protection, and angels. I put the blood of Jesus over me and my
family and against the enemy.” I recommend that you do the same. When we
pray, we activate faith and bind fear. Fear makes us cripple. Prayer makes us
powerful.
“Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I
will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV).
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