Does Fear Torment Your Life?

Fear is a life dominator.  When fear wells up within us we are often physically paralyzed, speechless or at a loss for cogent thought.  When fear strikes we run, we hide or we cower before it as our new and merciless master.  When we see fear in others we can easily be drawn into its overwhelming grip and become hapless and helpless in our ability to see clearly and find our way.  Because fear is such a powerful dominating emotion, it has always been a preferred tool of Satan.  What better way to gain control of the masses of humanity than to instill fear?  While fear can occasionally save us, fear is most often a pathway to dysfunction, a weapon of despair and a tool of defeat.  So, what do we do to conquer fear?  How can we learn to feel fear but not be afraid? You have probably heard or seen motivational speakers who talk about fear and illustrate how to overcome it. They are powerful, logical and inspirational in their delivery, and what they suggest can actually work towards overcoming our fears. The problem for most of us is that we get all juiced when we hear the speaker and when we see the real life examples, and we begin to feel like we can do this. Then it happens. Some time goes by and we forget what we learned or we rationalize our way out of applying what we learned and our fears again well up and we face them – not to defeat them but to be instructed by them as we again cower before their power. Kinda depressing, isn’t it! To make matters worse, we can be afraid of so many different kinds of things, ranging from the likes of failure, vulnerability and disappointment to success, acceptance and love. All in all we can clearly conclude that the fears in our lives may easily become the overwhelming dictators of our futures. Ouch! Okay, enough of the depressing talk already! Let’s move on to finding the tools attitudes and methodologies to overcome this debilitating emotion. The Bible is a brilliant help for us to be able to grasp and manage fear. It tells us there are things we should rightfully have fear of (in a positive and healthy way) for our own protection – the power of angels – sin – and God himself. The Bible also shows us that there are many very justifiable fears we may encounter. Think about those people in life who have great power for darkness and who would oppose us. They provoke justifiable fear. Here is the key. Having a justifiable fear does not mean that it is acceptable to crumble before its feet. Justifiable fears are actually seeds of opportunity if we are willing to learn to see them in such light. Is it really possible to go from being afraid to being excited? Check out our February 27, 2017 podcast, “Does Fear Torment Your Life?” Follow along with us as we talk about three specific Christian characteristics that have the power to deal with, replace and evict fear as a motivator from our lives. Why let fear continue to push you around when you can learn to, by God’s grace, face it and use its power for good?