FAITH OVER FEAR

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds

in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

Over the last two months, one word seems to have dominated the conversation. Fear. I’ve never personally counted them up, but I have been told that the words “Fear not” appear in some form or another 365 times in the Bible. Fear must be a pretty common element of the human experience if it was necessary for God to repeat Himself so often.

We should understand as the sons and daughters of God that we are a three-fold being. We are a spirit. We have a soul. We live in a body. Our born-again spirit man operates in a heavenly realm without fear. However, our soul and our body have not yet realized full redemption, and often war against our spirit. The stronger we become in our spirit through communion with His Spirit, the easier it becomes to keep our mind, will, emotions, and flesh in divine check.

Fear is an emotion. It is a biochemical reaction to physical threats and/or internal conflicts of the body and mind. There is no shame or condemnation in experiencing feelings of fear. Every great king, prophet, warrior, apostle, man, and woman of God in the Bible dealt with the fear question. Jesus himself endured torment in Gethsemane before his crucifixion. Godly courage is not the absence of fear. It is the anointed ability to push through the fear in order to accomplish the objective.

Fear is more than “fight or flight.” Fear can be a cause to pause, or an invitation from God to seek His way forward. When we find ourselves in a moment of anxiety, we have a choice. Focus on the fear or focus on our Faith. Fear says we cannot win. Faith says we have already won. Fear says look at our situation. Faith says look at Jesus. The giants may laugh at us, but God has already placed the ultimate stone in our sling to take down every one that crosses our path. We are His children. We are more than conquerors.

My prayer for you during Global Days of Prayer is that you would choose Faith over fear, victory over defeat, wisdom over worry. We would love to see you back in the house of prayer this weekend for our 9:00 am and 10:45 am services. We’ll still be streaming online for those who choose to stay at home. Until then, may God bless you and keep you!