fear feels dreadful oh it just sucks the life out of our soul
it it it curls us into this embryonic state it drains us it just drains us dry of contentment
you see when fear shapes our lives safety becomes our god we actually worship the risk-free life
now can the safety lover do anything great for themselves for others no no the fear-filled
cannot love deeply they cannot give to the poor they cannot dream wildly it's just all too risky
here are eight tried and true worry stoppers number one pray first don't pace up and down
the floors of the waiting room pray pray for a successful surgery don't dwell on the job you lost
in the pandemic go to god for a new direction don't bemoan the collapse of an investment ask
him to help you the scripture says cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for
you number two easy now slow down imitate the mother of jesus at the wedding in cana
the reception was out of wine and mary could have blamed the host for poor planning or the guests
for over drinking but she didn't catastrophize no she took the shortage straight to jesus
see how quickly you can do the same number three act on it become a worry slapper treat frets like
mosquitoes do you procrastinate when a blood sucking bug lights on your skin of course not
you give that critter the slap it deserves do the same with anxiety when a concern
buzzes in your brain don't dwell on it don't waste time wondering what your boss thinks ask her
instead of assuming you'll never get out of debt consult an expert be a doer not a steward
number four compile a worry list over a period of days record your anxious thoughts and then
review them you worried that the house would burn down did it that your job would be outsourced was
it that you wouldn't make it through the pandemic have you been making it okay and then number five
evaluate your worry categories your list will highlight themes of worry what people think of
you or global calamities your appearance or performance so pray specifically about
these categories number six focus on today god meets daily needs daily not weekly not annually
he gives us our daily bread he will give you what you need when it's needed number seven
unleash a worry army ask some loved ones to pray with and pray for you they're more than
willing to help maybe more willing than you might imagine and then number eight let god be enough
jesus concludes his call to calmness with this challenge your heavenly father already knows
all your needs and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for
him and make the kingdom of god your primary concern let's get one thing clear about fear
fear serves a healthy function it's the canary in the coal mine warning of potential danger a dose
of fright can keep a child from running across a busy road it can keep an adult from smoking a pack
of cigarettes fear is the appropriate reaction to a burning building or a growling dog fear
itself is not a sin but it can lead us to sin and to trouble you see if if we treat fear with
angry outbursts or drinking binges or swollen withdrawals or self-starvation or vice-like
control what we're doing is excluding god from the solution and exacerbating the problem we subject
ourselves to a position of fear allowing anxiety to dominate and define our lives joy sapping
worries day numbing dread repeated bouts with insecurity that that that petrify and paralyzes
hysteria is not from god the scripture says for god has not given us a spirit of fear
you know fear can turn us into control freaks and when life spins wildly we tend to grab for
anything we think we can manage our diet the tidiness of a house the armrest of a plane our
spouse and the more insecure we feel the meaner we become we growl we bear our things why because
we're bad well in part but really it's because we feel cornered if we feel cornered and stuck
you see fear makes us forget in the midst of the galilean storm the disciples had every reason to
trust jesus they had seen him heal the sick they had seen him scatter demons like bats out of a
cave multiply a poor boy's lunch into a feast for five thousand and yet they feared they had
forgotten they had forgotten what jesus had done and how good god is how often do we do the same
and need i mention that fear feels dreadful oh it just sucks the life out of our soul
it it it curls us into this embryonic state it drains us it just drains us dry of contentment
you see when fear shapes our lives safety becomes our god we actually worship the risk-free life
now can the safety lover do anything great for themselves for others no no the fear filled cannot
love deeply they cannot give to the poor they cannot dream wildly it's just all too risky so no
wonder jesus wages such a war against fear did you know that his most common command emerges from the
fear not genre if quantity is any indicator jesus takes our fears very seriously the one statement
he said more than any other was this don't be afraid don't be afraid whatever our fear
whatever our storm we would do well to remember these words spoken by jesus so don't be afraid
you're worth much more than many sparrows take courage son your sins are forgiven he
said don't worry about everyday life whether you have enough he said don't be afraid just believe
and your daughter will be well it's all right he said i am here don't be afraid
do not fear those who who kill the body but cannot kill the soul he said do not fear little
flock for it is your father's good will to give you the kingdom he said don't be troubled you
trust god now trust in me i will come and get you so that you can always be with me where i am
he said don't be troubled or afraid he even asked why are you frightened why are your hearts
filled with doubt he said you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it
that you are not alarmed and then jesus came and touched them and said arise and do not be afraid
folks let's take these words of jesus to heart do not be afraid
at tbn our mission is to use every available means to reach as many individuals and families
as possible with the life-changing gospel of jesus christ thank you for helping make the gospel
of grace go around the world without you we couldn't do it god bless you