Fear is an enemy of love. It takes us captive and makes us a slave to its bitter effects. It is what stops us from walking in the understanding of His love. Fear will become your companion in an instant, and will be difficult to get rid of.
The effects of fear are doubt and unbelief, anxiety, worry and dread. Fear takes us away from His divine purposes for our lives, and can limit our thinking.
For over a few months now, I have been reading, meditating, and listening to God and allowing Him to show me how I have chosen to allow fear to operate in my life. Here are some definitions of fear.
Fear
A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm.
To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude.
To be anxious or solicitous for.
To suspect; to doubt.
To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil.
Fear can become a way of living, due to the environment we were raised in, or difficult things that have happened to us, or because we have chosen to believe our opinion, over the truth of His word, and that His love is enough.
The bible says that nothing will ever be able to separate us from His love, and yet we often choose to believe the lies that fear tells us.
Fear has damaging effects, and for centuries it has ravaged relationships, has destroyed confidence and most importantly our belief in who God really is.
Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Fear does not come from God, and He cannot be a part of it. It is anti-love.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound judgment 1 Tim 4:7
The only thing that can drive out fear, is God's love. There are no other solutions that will work.
Positive thinking alone will never bring lasting change and deliverance from fear. It will only cause us to lean on our own abilities to push away fear, and brings exhaustion, striving and eventual failure.
God has good news for all of us. There is an antidote to fight fear.
The remedy, is in knowing and accepting His love as enough, and the only answer. God's love brings confidence and an ability to see our lives, and others lives from His perspective.
Lord, help us to truly receive and walk in the revelation of Your great love.
Help us to see that as we continue to walk in this truth, Your love will drive out the fear in our lives.
Help us to see that Your love alone will bring with it great spiritual and emotional rewards.
3 comments:
Cheryl,
That was a great read...thank you! I will keep that close and re-read again.
It is snowing today....ahhhhhh!!!! Snow in April isn't nice! lol
Love you!
I have missed keeping up with the blog entries this past week...holidays have been keeping me busy!:o) I am glad to be home again and able to enjoy reading your blog:o)
Thanks Tammy!!
I am enjoying learning how to write.
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