Freed from Fear

Some say that fear is the most powerful emotion in the world. It is believed to be an underlying cause of most human actions. History books quote numerous great leaders with statements about overcoming fear. The topic is discussed from secular stages, religious alters and Christian pulpits. Book stores are loaded down with pages upon pages of information on overcoming fear. Children sing songs about not fearing. Coaches and managers flood their team’s minds with encouraging words to abstain from fear, yet we all still find ourselves caught in those moments where fear takes hold.

A quick Bible search using strong’s concordance results in 531 uses of the word fear in the bible. That makes it one of the most discussed emotions in scripture. Why? Because God knows the enemy is going to use it against us. He knows what fear does to the human mind. He knows the reactions it stirs up and the decisions made under its influence. He knows that no matter how many times or how many ways He tries to warn us, fear will sometimes manage to snag our attention. Am I saying it’s ok to fear? Absolutely not, but because of the magnitude with which the enemy uses fear to distract, the odds of falling prey to it exist.

The bible gives us only two options regarding fear-do NOT fear and fear the Lord. In other words, Christians should fear nothing but God Himself. Matthew 10:28 tells us to “…fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Greek word used for both occurrences of fear in this verse is “phobeisthe” which means to be in awe of or revere. According to Webster’s when we show reverence for something, we are honoring or worshipping it. So, when we fear something, we are giving it honor or worship.

Each time we allow fear to creep into our hearts, we give worship to the source of that fear. We turn our fears into gods. Even when we fear something as silly as a spider, we scream out to the Lord, “You can’t handle this situation, and I am giving my worship to another god.” Just let that sink in for a minute. God promises me healing, yet I fear death from an illness-I am worshipping another god. God promises me financial provision, yet I fear going broke-I am worshipping another god. God promises me protection, yet I fear intruders-I am worshipping another god. God warns us, “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other.” Matthew 6:24 (MSG)

Only God is to be revered. Only God is awesome. Because He is so awesome and knows our sinful, human hearts, He sends us His Holy Spirit as a helper (John 14:26). His Spirit is everything opposite of fear. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim 1:7. It sounds too good to be true, but it is pure truth. God calls us to fear only Him, and He gifts us His Spirit to accomplish the task. Deliverance from the shackles of fear is a free gift that we certainly do not deserve. Next time, the spirit of fear rears its ugly head, remember only One God, the One who gave everything for you, deserves your worship.

Lord Jesus, I am so sorry for every time I have feared. My heart breaks to think I gave my worship to something else besides You. I plea the blood over every fear that has ever overtaken me. Forgive me. Help me to always walk in Your Spirit. Help me to lean on the gift You have given me every moment of my life here on earth. In Jesus’ Name.