Awfully Afraid

"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 4:18) 

 "Be afraid, be very afraid." is a movie line from the film "The Fly" (1986) spoken by Veronica Quaife (played by Geena Davis)

Today is Halloween, and of course the focus is to "Be afraid, be very afraid." There are those of us, that not only deal with fear on Halloween, but everyday of our lives. We worry about how things are going to work out, day in and day out. And fear can be such a crippling feeling, that stabs us to our very soul. So how can we overcome our fears?

The apostle John writes to his readers (and us) that "There is no fear in love" in fact, "love casts out fear" If we love God, and have a strong relationship with Him, we know that the most powerful being in the universe, will take care of us everyday, and for all eternity.

Our sin that will bring torment to our lives today and forever, is forgiven, and we can live in peace. If we love others, we can have good relationships, and have love and support in times of trials.

No matter what Halloween entices us to focus on, we don't need to be afraid of anything, because with God, we have the most powerful, loving arms around us. We can walk through this dark world, carrying the light of life, Jesus Christ, in our lives (John 8:12)

"Be not dismayed whate’er betide, 
God will take care of you; 
Beneath His wings of love abide, 
God will take care of you. 
Refrain: God will take care of you, 
Through every day, o’er all the way; 
He will take care of you, God will take care of you." 
(Civilla D. Martin - 1904)

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What God Has Not Given Us

 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1: 7) 

We are thankful for so many blessings that God gives us. But there is one thing that God has not given us, that we have come up with ourselves, and that is "Fear". Webster's New World Dictionary defines fear as: "Anxiety caused by real or possible danger or pain." What we see or conceive to be danger that threatens our physical or spiritual being. 

 I admit, I am one who struggles with fear. I am a nervous person. 

We can question whether it is apart of our DNA, and if God did give us this tendency to be afraid, when He created us. But whether we come by it more naturally than others, is not the question. 

The question is: How do we deal with it? 

In our text, we find the gifts that God gives us to deal with fear. 

The first gift is "Power." This power to face our fears comes from God, because God is the power that we depend on to rise up, and face our fears head on. There is nothing that God cannot do in us, and through us, if we will let Him. 

The second gift is "Love" Love gives us more security than we could ever imagine. To know that God loves us, and that our family and friends love us, and can be depended upon for help and support, gives us tremendous freedom from fear. 

And a third gift is: "A Sound Mind" Applying God's Word to our situations, will help us to make right decisions concerning our troubles and trials. To know that we have made the right decisions according to God's truth, will help us to have confidence to get through the storms of life. 

Fear is apart of our make up. And to have healthy fear is not a bad thing. God does not give us any reason to fear, but every reason to trust Him, and to place our lives completely in His Hands. GP 

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Fear or Faithfulness

 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 
(2 Timothy 1:7) 

Do you have insecurity in your life? Do you depend on other people too much? Are you standing on your own ground, or hoping that others will be a platform for you?

 We all have insecurities, some more than others. Too often we are afraid to step out on our own, because we worry that we will make huge mistakes, and either be severely criticized, or laughed out of town.

The Apostle Paul is sharing his last words, with his son in the faith, young Timothy. In spite of his youth, Paul encouraged Timothy, to stand strong, and to rely upon no other foundation, or platform than that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God has not given us a reason to fear, when He promises to take care of us, in this life, and eternity. We have the greatest power in the universe behind us. So as Paul says in Romans 8:37 "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us." with God behind us, there is nothing that we cannot overcome, or accomplish, if it is His will for our lives.

Is it wrong to ask for advice from others? No! But what is wrong, is to be constantly dependent on others, to the point that we have lost all confidence in ourselves. And there are those who act as if they are very confident, when inside they are the most insecure people in the world.

It's time to be faithful to God, others, and ourselves. With God's insight and direction in our lives, we can, and should, make decisions, and act responsibly on our own. We will not always please people, but we must strive to please God, in being our person, and walking in the strength that is definitely a gift from Him. GP

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