Fear. It is something that disguises itself in many sneaky ways. Without high spiritual alert, it is bound to creep into any unguarded area of our minds or lives.
How do we combat this? The spiraling thoughts of what-if? The mind-numbing realization that I should be out of reach of God’s favor? I know I don’t deserve to experience “the lavish riches of His grace.” What do I do if I cannot stop endless repeats of what could be?
Who else has been there? *All the hands in the cyber world go up* While all of these thoughts might be true, the issue is they are all “me-centered.” Shift your eyes up to the previous paragraph. How many times is there a first-person pronoun? I will give you time to count.
Seven times. In three short lines. The issue with fear is that it is all about “me.” My tendency with fear is to withdraw. Go about life like nothing is wrong, pretending my soul is at rest. When in reality, I am doing exactly what the enemy wants me to do, and the opposite of what the Father calls me to. Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in the Lord.” 2 Timothy 1:7 states, “For the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound mind.”
Whether it paralyzes you or makes you disassociate, fear does not have dominion over what God has ordained – power, love, and a sound mind. We know from Ephesians 6:12 that “… we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The enemy will do everything in his power to distract you from today, whether focusing on yesterday’s shame or trembling at tomorrow’s thought.
My friend, I want to gently remind you (and myself) that we cannot rewrite past events or predict what will come. All we have is today. Today, if you proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord, you are given full access to the fruit of the Holy Spirit—one of those nine being self-control. You have authority in Jesus’ name to capture your anxieties and submit them to the mind of Christ.
How would our thought lives look different if we replaced those seven self-focused pronouns with seven promises from God’s word? That is my challenge to you. In moments of weakness, which we will all continue to have this side of Heaven, ask the Holy Spirit to help you take a step back to examine your mind. Is this from God? Does this align with what His word says is true? If not, you can make it obedient to the mind of Christ by replacing it with the truth in God’s Word in an instant.
Scripture is our only offensive weapon in the armor of God, so let’s not neglect to use what He has proven time and time again to be victorious over all the enemy’s schemes.
About the Author:
I am a young wife and momma to a beautiful little girl! Our family enjoys spending time outside and never misses any opportunity for a dance party. My priority in life is that our home would reflect the joy of the Lord! May we always remember that the God of the universe works all things together for our good and His glory.
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