Fear Less and Become Fearless

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

Think for a moment. What is one thing that slows your faith down, or even stops it in its tracks, and keeps you from running full speed after your dreams? 

Several things may come to mind right away, like busyness, sickness, other people, or seemingly impossible circumstances. But I’m thinking of something even more powerful and pervasive in our lives, something that lies at the root of many of our other problems: FEAR

Maybe that’s why God says more than any other phrase in the Bible, more than 350 times, “Do not be afraid.” He knew we’d need a daily dose of reminding to “Fear not.” 

What has fear robbed from you? A position you were too afraid to apply for, a phone call you never made, a race you didn’t sign up for, another child you didn’t conceive, a trip you didn’t take? Our lists are long and diverse, because so are our dreams. 

God has great plans for our lives but if we’re going to achieve His plans, we need to know how to KICK FEAR IN THE FACE.

“We will never be fearless, but we can fear less.” – Andy Stanley

God promises in Isaiah 43:2, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 

In every season of our lives, we experience real life storms. Sometimes it feels like more than we can possibly handle. Wave after wave keeps crashing over us. Or the heat is turned up so high, we think we’ll die. 

Teenagers go off the rails, medical bills pile up, the car breaks down, fighting surges, work pressure heightens, darkness closes in when a friend doesn’t beat cancer, and all you want to scream is STOP!  Having walked through all these scenarios/storms a few years ago, I look back and can see how God taught me how to kick fear in the face. He wants us to:

• Remember. How has God come through for you in the past? Remind yourself how He answered your prayers before, healed your wounded heart, and carried you through challenging days. By thanking God for the ways He helped you in the past, faith and hope is renewed today.

• Realize. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His promises for you are real. Grab hold of one of them such as Isaiah 41:10, and repeat it over and over as you walk through trials and storms. Thank God that He is with you and tell Him you won’t be afraid because His strength flows through you and His right hand upholds you. Realize you are not alone.

• Rely. On God’s strength when you are weak. Go to Him first and ask for His supernatural comfort, healing, restorative power. Invite Him into the storm and have faith to believe that the wind and the waves still obey Jesus’ voice (Matthew 8:23-17).

When you find yourself desperate for the storm to end, remember God is with you. Pray like your life depends on it, and take God’s mighty hand and walk by faith not by sight. Soon you will look back and see how kicking fear in the face made all the difference in the world.

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Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement