In our frenetic world today, people have lost sight of the core essence of what it means to be a thinking, human being. We run from this activity to that activity; we have never-ending “to do” lists; we are so so busy with our requirements, that we rarely have time to sit down and consider what is driving our decisions. We are bombarded with news media, social media; we have computers, iPads, iPods, iPhones, cell phones, droid phones and a host of other devices to keep us connected to everything, everywhere, at all times. Thus we find ourselves left with one large, looming consequence; we don’t have time to think. We have become collectively distracted and in our distraction have lost sight of who is in control of our lives. And by surrendering control we “all like sheep have gone astray.” We have secretly been funneled with the masses of society into well-worn paths that always lead to misery and futility.
There are really only two great motives in life; love or fear. All of humanity is basing their decisions; their plans; their thinking on one of the two… Love comes from God and has nothing harmful in it. Love empowers men and women and gives them back control in their lives. Love puts the energy into a life and like a gently flowing river is refreshed day by day. Fear is just the opposite. Fear comes from the enemy and has nothing good or useful in it (Nothing!). Fear controls people and binds them down like slaves. Fear stops all forward movement and as the lion roars to freeze its prey, fear roars and brings our lives to a standstill. “Fear is sand in the machinery of life.” (Eli Stanley Jones) Fear stops all forward movement. Fear harasses and attacks and controls. Fear is the hidden power behind all the suffering in this world and if allowed to continue without being rigorously and thoroughly purged will lead to ruin and defeat in EVERY situation and in EVERY case. Fear breaks our minds down and in that divided state makes us insane. Fear wrecks marriages; destroys our businesses; invites sickness; welcomes catastrophe; ensures poverty; murders, steals, hurts, harasses, controls, ruins and reduces us down to a mere fraction of the person we once were. In short, fear sucks!
So, how can we overcome this seemingly insurmountable enemy and bring restoration and wholeness to our lives? How can we get back all that has been stolen from us? How can we get off the treadmill and get out of the rate race? How can we regain control of our lives and once again live peacefully and confidently? We can do it by making a decision! Our life isn’t just happening to us; we are happening to it! And in contrast to our former ignorance when we sat there frozen in the bushes waiting for the lion to strike, we can now make the decision to get the hell out of those bushes and get on with our lives. Fear, like every other slippery deception must be dealt with swiftly. We don’t answer fear; entertain fear; dialogue with fear; rationalize with fear; try to understand and analyze fear; or, for God’s sake, make friends with our fear. The moment we take that approach we lose. We don’t proclaim to ourselves over and over, “I’m not afraid! I’m not afraid! I’m not afraid!” Instead we simply move forward with love. Mature love casts out fear. We decide adamantly that we will not think the thoughts of fear. Oh I know, it’s very tempting to try to figure it out. “Maybe if I just run this scenario through my head one thousand times I will be able to figure it out.” So, uhhhh, how’s that working out for you? Getting any closer? Almost got it? NO! Hell no! All you get when you do that is more fear, more fear, more fear… Sure you’re smart; sure you’re logical; sure you can figure stuff out, but when it comes to evil, you aint that smart! You lost before you began. The moment you entertained it (in your wisdom), you lost. And you know why that trick always works on humans? Because the adversary makes an appeal to your ego. He is banking on the fact that you, like all humans will try to figure the dang thing out. But fear has a spiritual basis and your human mind aint gonna figure that one out. So, like every other deception the enemy tries to work us over with, our job is to simply do what God said to do about it and refuse to engage in a discussion otherwise. When Eve paused to consider what the devil asked her to consider, she lost! When you keep running that fear through your mind over and over, you lose! Soon you will become a walking, talking anxiety attack, mentally threadbare and defeated.
God does not want us to live in fear. God wants to deliver us out of fear. How would you feel as a parent if you had to watch your child being controlled and bullied and beaten? Do you like it when your children are afraid? Do they think soundly when they are afraid? Are there really boogeymen? Of course not, but when you are afraid aren’t you doing the same thing? And what do you tell your children? “Ummm don’t be afraid son”…end of story? No! You tell them something to counteract that fear. You give them something to put in their minds to replace it. “Mommy and Daddy protect you son and we won’t let anything get you!” Sure you might point out there is nothing under the bed, but you don’t suggest they sit in the darkness and try to figure it out. You turn on the light before you do the inspection. Well, that’s how you overcome fear. You turn on the light before you do the inspection. What does God say about the thing you are so afraid of? Turn on the lights! Things aren’t so scary when the lights are on. If you hear a potential intruder outside your house, you turn the lights on. Sure the light might not make him go away, but in the light you can figure out what to do next. That’s what love does, it turns on the light so you can figure out what to do next, ultimately leading to God’s solution which is infinitely bigger than any intruder!
So, let’s just get honest with ourselves when we are afraid and seek a solution. Call a thing, a thing! “I can’t leave this job I hate because I need the money!” = Fear. “I can’t tell him what I really think because he will leave me!” = Fear. “I cannot forgive her for what she did!” = Fear. I cannot get past this big negative thing that happened to me!” = Fear. The reality is that you can do all of those things, but fear has you under its control and is feeding you another story. Decide right now that it ends today! You decide because you are worth more than that to God!
Where you have been, I have been also. What you have tried to figure it out, I have tried to figure out also. The anxiety you are feeling, I have felt also. So, trust me when I say there is only one way you can escape that fear. Don’t be so smart and “let” God show you otherwise. You’ll never get to the other side of that fear and experience the sheer joy of deliverance until you are willing to humble yourself and do it God’s way.
Are you afraid? Turn off your electronics, log out, log off and think; take some time to think. Take back the control of your life and for goodness sakes, don’t do it alone… God loves you and so do I! Be not afraid, only believe…