LIVING FEARLESSLY (3)

Word4Today

Bob Gas

When you know that   what you’re doing is in sync with God’s will, you can be confident He will   provide what you need and fight for you. God told His people, ‘When you go to   war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than   yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you   up out of Egypt, will be with you’ (Deuteronomy 20:1 NIV). Then God added   something else: ‘…Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so   that his brothers will not become disheartened too’ (Deuteronomy 20:8 NIV).   God knows that when you allow fear to rule your heart, it’s fatal, not only   for you, but to those around you. Playwright David Mamet wrote: ‘On June 5th,   1944, thousands of American paratroopers jumped into Normandy. Four men   refused to jump. Can anyone imagine the rest of these men’s lives? What   prodigies of self-excuse, rationale, or repression they must have had to   employ. Their lives, in effect, ended the day they refused to leave that   plane…We all die in the end, but there’s no reason to die in the middle.’   You don’t overcome fear overnight. But gradually, day by day, you can get it   by the scruff of the neck and bring it under control. ‘…the people who know   their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits’ (Daniel 11:32 NKJV).   The word ‘know’ means ‘to be in relationship with, or to be intimate with.’   Want to overcome your fears? Spend time in God’s Word. Prioritise your prayer   life. Get to know God better.

‘…’Do not fear, for I am with you…’

Isaiah   41:10

The words ‘fear not’   appear in the Bible all the way from Genesis to Revelation. Why is that?   Because God understands that fear is not only our biggest enemy but our   constant companion, and He wants to help us overcome it. One author writes:   ‘Think of your comfort zone as a prison you live in-a largely self-created   prison. It consists of a collection of “can’ts, musts, must-nots,”   and other unfounded beliefs formed from all the negative thoughts and   decisions you have accumulated and reinforced during your lifetime. Every   fear is like a bar in that prison.’ But the good news is, because fears are   feelings, the faulty ones can be removed by faith in God, and you can become   free from them. Does this mean you can live totally free from fear? No,   writer Michael Ignatieff says: ‘Living fearlessly is not the same thing as   never being afraid. It’s good to be afraid occasionally. Fear is a great   teacher. What’s not good is living in fear, allowing fear to dictate your   choices, allowing fear to define who you are. Living fearlessly means   standing up to fear, taking its measure, refusing to let it shape and define   your life. Living fearlessly means taking risks, taking gambles, not playing   it safe. It means refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer when you are sure that   the answer should have been ‘yes.’ It means refusing to settle for less than   what you’re due, what is yours by right, what is yours by the sweat of your   labour and your effort.’ And let’s add- what God has promised and planned for   you.