I was recently listening to a podcast from Creflo Dollar and he was talking about fear as it relates to the life of a Christian. Basically, he was talking about how it is not God’s intent for us to have ANY fear in our lives. As soon as I heard this, the following scripture immediately popped into my head:
“For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (ASV)
Pastor Dollar makes a good point. We often say that it is OK to have a little fear. Is it really? Why would we want anything in our lives that God did not intend for us to have? If we allow even a little fear in our lives what would stop us from being exposed to other things that God did not intend. If is OK to have a little fear, it it OK to have a little murder? Is it OK to have a little pre-marital sex? Is it OK to lie a little? Those things should not have any place in our lives and neither should fear.
Many of us tend to use fear for motivation. We fear failure, so we work harder to succeed. We fear that our children won’t be able to handle certain aspects of life, so we become overprotective and overload them with information.
As Christians, we don’t need to fear, because we have a relationship with a God who is faithful and dependable. Instead of using fear for motivation, we can use the promises of God. We can enter situations without fear knowing that God will protect us. It is good to know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)
Be strong and know that God can and will always be there for you. I’ll leave you with this: “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 (ASV)
What strategies do you have for dealing with fear when it tries to arise in your life?
