Fearful

Fear- a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain,etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

What feeds it? 

Where does it come from?

Is it normal?

What can be done with it?

How can it be overthrown?

What do you fear?   Pain, losing something or someone, spiders, snacks, dogs, mice, death?

Why?

Fear began in the Garden. Adam & Eve, after eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, feared The Lord. Why?

Disobedience. 

And so began the fear that was not meant to be apart of life for us. It is not how God designed it, but He knew it would happen. 

Why do we fear as children? 

All that we know and learn from infancy to early childhood is taught, purposefully or not, by our parents or siblings or family. When a child first begins to fear it is being separated from its parent. Not that they had never not come back, for most kids anyway, but the enemy crept in, placing thoughts of abandonment in the child's mind. 

Children get hurt or see a scary movie or see scary pictures or the unknown= this creates things to fear and stays with them for most of their lives. 

Adults allow things to come in with or without knowing of the danger that creates fear. 

It happens without our consent most of the time. Or there is a lack of boundary. 

As life continues more fears creep in and others flee. 

Circumstances in life bring more fear- but not because we ask for it, but because we don't know how to or the fact that we have the power to overcome it. 

Angst, worry, & control are particles of fear. 

The enemy THRIVES on it! 

We were not created with a spirit of fear. We were created to rule over all things here on earth and to live in peace, but most of all to glorify God. 

Fear focuses on the dark. 

How do we counteract it? 

                Focus on The Light! 

We are called to see through the darkness to what darkness is trying to hide. 

The enemy is trying to hide that which God is trying to mend or use or purpose for His glory. 

The enemy wants to keep us at bay- hidden in our fear and shame so that we cannot be used or healed or restored. 

Stop listening to fear. It will control you and devour every ounce of joy and life. 

But know... God is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine or ask. 

He does not want His children to live in fear. Just like you don't want your children to live in fear. 

So... How do we overcome fear?

Declare what God has promised. 

"The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom." 

This fear is reverence to the holy God who creates life and everything of this world. To know who created you and why. 

The Lord is perfect love & "perfect Love casts out all fear."

Every time the feet of a Jesus follower hit the ground- the enemy trembles in fear of the One in which we stand!!

So what do you fear now?