FEAR NOT.
That four letter word. We all know it and we all have said it. It hurts some of our lives and goes against everything the bible says. Fear.
As a person who had a “Things I Am Afraid Of” list that was extensive, I know the word fear personally. It is normal to be afraid, right? There were many random things that I found myself to be afraid of. Dinosaurs and heights were the normal ones of the list. This list also included pain, discomfort, and rejection. I avoided anything painful like the plague. I went to see scary movies to seem tough, but I didn’t see much of the movie for hiding under jackets or closing my eyes and for fear of anything that was going on. Little did I know... Fear is completely against everything that Jesus wanted us to do.
Jesus says... Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
Again he says... I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27
Here’s another... Maybe the most important (as if there is one, the whole bible has TREMENDOUS IMPORTANCE)... Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:18
Jesus is saying in the first verse (from what I take from it)... is that Jesus is pleased to give us Holy Spirit... Wait, Lise, How the heck did you get that?? Ok remember the verse where Jesus was like...
No one will say "here it is" or "there it is" because the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21 KJV)?
I feel like what he is saying here is that all the power, all the might, everything that is in the kingdom of God, is inside of us through Holy Spirit. I feel that Jesus has given us Holy Spirit to keep us from fear... Let me back it up some more
For God has not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline Timothy 1:7
If he didn't give us the spirit of fear... What spirit did he give us? When you consider who Holy Spirit is, the first one makes sense.... Holy Spirit is the power behind everything God does. Holy Spirit is the one who impregnated Mary with baby Jesus (Matthew 1:18). Holy Spirit is the one who was breathed into man and the one who made him a living being and different from all the other animals. Thats why when the fall of man happened, we were going to die... without Holy Spirit within us, we are just walking zombies... but that’s another story.
The next one, Love, is clearly one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It is a natural product of being constantly filled with the spirit and walking in the spirit. You walk in the spirit, you walk in love.
The next one, self- discipline (in some versions it says a sound mind, its still relevant) is another one of the fruits of the spirit!
So, I’m not crazy!
There is a reason that I feel that Jesus has given us Holy Spirit to cast out all fear!
The last verse 1 John 4:18... is so real. This perfect love cannot be given by your boyfriend or girlfriend or parents in some cases... Jk. This love can only be experienced by relationship with God. God is love, right????? He is love infinitely! This love casts out fear! There is nothing to fear with the God of the universe on your side. He literally will not let you trip and fall (spiritually... because I feel like God laughs at me when I trip and fall...)!! He cares so much about us! (Plus, he controls like... everything)
So this fear I am talking about is not necessarily fear of the dark or the fear of spiders. I am more talking about (of course) fear of living your life for Christ. So many of us allow fear to get in the way! I know I was afraid. I was afraid of what people would say about me. We are afraid that we will become that “Jesus-Freak” person. That person that will have no friends and do nothing but sit at home and read the bible (This isn’t so bad, actually... but I digress).
When we are fearful of what people think about our lives as Christians, We often pretend to be that sold-out, born-again, saved-by-grace Christian that everyone expects us to be... but inside, we know that we wish we had that relationship with God that we are supposed to have. Then comes the fear that if we give our lives completely, that God will take away everything that we have ever wanted and he will make us do things that we never wanted to do... blah blah. The world has taught us to fear the only person that should be our comfort. Crazy, right?
We fear being close to God? Because it will set us apart and give us the burden of actually living like Christ? Interesting...
If you feel like you are the one who is afraid because you will lose your friends....
Honestly, what kind of friends would leave you because you made the best decision of your life?? Really ask yourself if you want to be friends with someone like that.
If you feel like you are the one who is afraid because you will be the oddball....
Jesus was the oddball for us. He literally was put up on a cross because he didn’t fit into what the Pharisees wanted him to be.
If you feel like it will take too much effort..
Really consider if anything is too much effort for escaping hell.... and going to eternal paradise... forever. We will all live forever, it is just a matter of where we will spend forever.
So if you are that person that is afraid of living for Christ... or afraid of the dark like me...
1. Ask God to take away that fear. Proverbs 28:1 says that The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as LIONS!!
2. Don’t worry about being perfect!!! This burden of being the perfect Christian was never yours to bear. It is only through Christ that we can do anything. Cling to him and depend on him to continue to perfect you. Yes, you will fall!! However, when you set your sights on Jesus, you realize that it doesn’t even matter and his love is all that does.
3. Keep yourself around people who want to live the same way you want to live! If you have just been delivered from alcoholism.... and you are constantly around drunkards, still... How is that going to help you?!? Wait till you are strong enough, then make sure God is telling you to minister to them before you go out and “get them saved”. You cannot help them if you are still doing the same thing they are doing, and telling them how God has changed you... Nope.
4. Remember that Christ is your Rock. You have nothing to fear in this world. The only things you ever had to fear, death and Hell, Christ conquered those and threw it in the garbage. The only thing you truly have to fear, now, is God... and you are justified in his sight through Christ and he ABSOLUTELY LOVES YOU! Don’t worry about it! Fear NOTHING! (I mean... don’t do dangerous things that will hurt you...but yeah)
At some point in time... You will have to ask yourself if you really trust your own “capability” to run your life more than the God who exists outside of time and can see every obstacle you will ever face. Will you allow fear to keep you from living the life that God intends for you to live, in victory and in boldness, or will you rise to the occasion and allow Holy Spirit to make you bold?
I love you guys!
Sincerely,
Lise, A4C
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