I have learnt of many young ladies who have hurriedly married the wrong person because of the fear that if they do not marry then, they may not marry again and beside, time is not on their side. So, they just settled for the less instead of trusting and waiting for the best. Some might argue that it is impatience; but I summit to you that impatience has its root in fear. Business opportunities have come to many people, but because of fear, they refused to venture into it, thereby forfeiting the profit they would have made. Children have been raised wrongly because their parent fear that if they handle them much harder, they would become wild and lost their children’s love and trust for them. Likewise, I know of some who have refused to further their education because they fear they would run out of cash in the nick of time and will not be able to complete it. These are just but a few of the havoc that has been cause by FEAR over the ages.
Can you take a quick look at your life and see what fear has done to you? Are you supposed to be where you are now? What is keeping you in that job; is it fear of the unknown world? What is your motivation in life? Do you act based on fear? There is a big difference between doing your work out of fear of losing it and doing the same out of fulfilment. Doing your job out of fear of losing it will keep you in bondage; bondage of your boss and the work at hand. This is similar to a guy or lady who despite the warning signal in their relationship decides to go ahead into marriage simply because of the fear that if he loses that person he or she won’t get another. Fear puts you in bondage. Is the fear of making mistake or being wrong keeping you from God’s best? See, fear will destroy your confidence and leave you powerless.
Fear is increasing in the world like never before. It is prophetical and scriptural. Jesus said in this Last Days, men’s hearts will fail them because of fear (Luke 21:25-26, 28). The uncertainties in our world, economy and even in the speeches of our leaders are all sign to this fact. This is actually an indication that Jesus’ return is near.
The fear of the future; the fear of tomorrow which is rooted in the fear of the unknown is a major fear that tends to affect more than 80% of humans. Fear of failure, fear of sickness, fear of lack, fear of making mistake, fear of death, fear of rejection, fear of not having enough money to pay the bills, fear that the same calamity that once affected some members of their family will get a hold of them too. These are just but few things many fear will come their way or come to them.
Fear fosters restlessness, anxiety, insecurity, sluggish metabolism and even insomnia. Negative emotions like worry, anxiety, criticism and anger are all fear-based. Fear dominates people’s thoughts. It controls their lives by the decisions they make, often keeping them from ever stepping out and doing the things God has called them to do. I just think of the case when God called Father Abraham to what we may call a life of uncertainty. Abraham was in fact called out of his people, land, plans, and his position, to a place where he has never been to or knows what will be the outcome. He responded to the call. It takes a fearless life to yield to this call.
We live in a world where the fearless reign while the fearful are enslaved. One of the reasons conquerors win every battle is because they are fearless. As a result, they are able to perform great exploits. On the other hand, people who walk in fear are slaves and are powerless against Satan. Fear is a spirit that must be resisted.
Fear is actually the reverse or reciprocal of faith. Fear is a spiritual force that operates like faith but in the reverse. While faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; fear on the other hand is the reverse. When you operate by fear, you expect negative things to happen to you; eventually they will.
Fear opposes the Word of God. Whereas faith is rooted in the Word of God; it comes by hearing the Word of God. Fear comes by hearing the words of the devil. Fear of any kind gives Satan access to our lives. It is a demonic spirit, and we must refuse it with all our might.
Bear in mind, faith connects you to what you believe in God's Word. Fear connects you to whatever you are afraid of. The things you fear will always come. Job attested to this fact in Job 3:25. Job said, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” When you fear failure; the probability of you failing at that point is more than 50%. Many people that go into marriage with the fear of divorce perhaps because their parents or guardians were divorced always end up experiencing what they fear. Fear gives access to the devil into your life to enforce what you fear.
I believe the end of fear has come in your life. “For God hath not given us the spirit of Fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). God loves you; He doesn’t want you to be in that cage of fear. That spirit of fear is not from Him.
On the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34), Jesus talked about the futility of worry and anxiety. Worry actually has its root in fear. It comes because of the fear of tomorrow.
Actually, the life we have been called to live is a life of risk. By that, I imply it is a life whereby you do not know what will be the next minute or the next day. Nobody knows tomorrow. There is every reason to be afraid in this world. That is why God in His infinite mercy has called us to this life of FAITH. Hebrews 10:38a reads: “Now the just shall live by faith:” Have faith in yourself. Have faith in God. Have faith that tomorrow would be better. Every venture in life that has yielded great results was given birth to by men and women of faith. Fear prevented the great warriors of king Saul from even attempting to fight the giant Goliath, but faith gave David the courage to fight and even defeated him.
The problem is that, so many believers fail to recognize how fear is at work in them. There are many ways the devil tries to penetrate your life with fear. One of such ways you might fall prey to the power of fear is by allowing the devil to remind you of your past. Reminding you of the negativities of the past is one of the greatest tricks of the devil to keep you from living an overflowing life. The devil brings an inventory of your past mistakes, past failure, broken dreams and promises, piled up bills and problems. If he cannot bring your past on any issue on ground, he will bring up the bad experience of somebody you hold on high esteem. This is simply the devil’s old trick which he has been using for ages.
Don’t ever forget that God is concerned about your future, while the devil is all about your past. The devil, your enemy will do all he can to get you to focus on “where you’ve been”, “what you’ve gone through”, “how you’ve failed”, “how you were cheated” and “how you were not able to make it” instead of “where you are going” and “how things can change for the better”.
Luke 9:62 reads, “…No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” When you keep looking back in life; you will never experience the full life God has for you. I’ve met many people who blame their present situation on their parents who have either refused to train them or give them the necessary assistance they required. You can’t live life like that. Apostle Paul says one major thing he does is that he forgets those things that are behind…so that he can forged ahead. “… But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” (Philippians 3:13).
Most times, the fear of the future comes because of past experiences. If you have tried to accomplish something and it failed; don’t give up if it is something God has put in your heart. You have to forget your past failure and try again. Fear gives in but faith presses on! If you have given up walking because when you were trying to walk in your tender age you fell many times; I’m sure you won’t have been walking by now.
Another way of overcoming this satanic deadly weapon called fear is by filling your heart with God’s word. This is one effective way that has been proven to handle the spirit of fear. As you fill your heart with God’s word, faith builds up in you which in turn repels fear. Fear disappears by hearing God’s word. Go get a hold on Spirit inspired messages and books. Your bible should not be left out. All these will help you to build your faith.
When you know that God is on your side and more especially that He loves you, there won’t be any room for fear in your life (Psalm 34:1-4). Actively believe and receive God’s love for your life. If He loves you so much to give His only son for you; He will likewise with that give you everything that you require. Never forget that God loves you unconditionally; His love doesn’t depend on your righteousness.
Walking in God’s love daily will shield you from fear. Loving others unconditionally, even when it is difficult is another sure way of living the fearless life. The scripture declares: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18).
Resist fear and refuse to allow it to dominate your life. One thing is sure; the devil will always throw arrows of fear at you, but with the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16), you can repel it. Never accommodate fear whenever it comes, because it will always come. Resist the spirit of fear by speaking out the word of God. Daily confession of God’s word will help. Speak the word of God to yourself always.
Proverbs 4:23 reads, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Guard your heart. Take authority over your mind. Never give a place for the devil. You must understand that the devil can inject thoughts of fear into your mind just the same way a doctor can inject medicine into your body. Don’t build a comfortable environment for fear by what goes into your mind. Avoid negative people and environment which tends to fuel fear in you.
Never forget that faith and fear cannot operate at the same time. You are either operating in faith or fear. Check the various areas in your life and find out which one is operating there. FAITH or FEAR?
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