"Do not Fear"

"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

Fear is not an element of God. It says so in this Scripture, and, therefore, we can ask the question, "Where does fear come from?" It comes from Satan, mainly. One of Satan's most powerful "weapons" is suggestions. Many things people are afraid of are, in fact, silly ideas that Satan suggests; for instance, monsters under the bed. That fear is common among young children. Stage fright is another common fear. Another fear, both common and ridiculous, is the fear of death. It's a popular trend among living things, and most, if not all, are afraid of it.

Everyone's afraid of something, whether it's big or small, reality or fantasy, abstract or concrete, etc. That's just a fact. But everyone has the capability to overcome their fear(s). Do remember that God can help, and that His way works every time. 1 John 4:16 says "...God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in Him." Then verse 18 says "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear...." meaning that there is no fear in God, because He's perfect love. Fear is not good because it's not of God, and He didn't give us fear.

Don't fear or worry about anything. One of the most destructive of all human habits is worrying (a small form of fear in some ways) because it decreases your effectiveness in other areas. Your thoughts and emotions focus on events that hadn't (and may not) take place yet when you worry about something. Mark Twain once said: "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened." Worrying (in some ways) is just another shape of fear in a small way.

Being afraid and worrying about things is passive. It accomplishes nothing. Worrying can, on the other hand, literally make you sick while keeping you from accomplishing things that are important. Worry can keep you from living your life the way God intended it. Think about the things you're afraid of, and all the things you worry about. Amazingly, you probably worry about the small stuff. Oswald Chambers wrote: "It is not only wrong to worry, it is unbelief; worrying means we do not believe that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never anything but those details that worry us."    

Jesus asked the rhetorical question, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not." (Matthew 6:27 NLT). Clearly the cure for worry is trusting God to take care of the small stuff (and big stuff) of your life. Let Him be involved in your life's details. Live longer by worrying less. And before you needlessly worry, ask yourself "What's the worst thing that could happen?" and "Is this as bad as I think it is?"

     Haiku

Source: God Is In the Small Stuff and It All Matters by Bruce and Stan Chpt. 8 pg. 53 

Image By Leaping Lizard