I hope it’s not yet too late for a new year’s resolution because here’s mine.
2017 was a great year. By God’s grace, I’ve learned and I’ve grown as I continued to walk with the Lord. But beside my deepening relationship with God, I also found myself facing more fears, worries and anxieties than ever before. To be honest, it all still seems fuzzy to me where all of these fears came from. I’m not sure if it came from my past hurts, my current problems, my future uncertainties or even from other people’s experiences. For whatever reason, I have so many fears and I don’t even know where to begin.
Every day, I press on with life battling one fear over another. It’s so easy to be triggered by fears; and yet it’s so difficult to overcome them. One moment, I’m completely fine. The next moment, with just one trigger, my fears start creeping in. I feel weak, lost and lonely. And it paralyzes me; as if I don’t have the strength to do anything. Too ashamed to tell anyone, I hid everything. While wearing a big smile on the outside, there was a voice at the back of my head saying, “No one will ever understand me.”
Many times, I cried out to God, but my fears would always find a way to hold me back – to keep me from trusting in God. For the past six months, I’ve done nothing, but run away from my fears and I am tired. I am tired of running. I am tired of carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.
This is not how I want to live. This is not the life God has called me to live. This 2018, I’m saying no to my fears.
I’m saying no to my fears because God is with me. He strengthens me and helps me. He comforts me. He always comes to my rescue. He never leaves me nor forsakes me.
(Isaiah 41:10) (Psalm 23:4) (Isaiah 35:4) (Deut. 31:6)
I’m saying no to my fears because I’m choosing to trust God. I’m casting all my anxiety on Him because He cares for me. He keeps me safe. He fights for me.
(1 Peter 5:6-7) (Prov. 29:25) (Deut. 3:22)
I’m saying no to my fears because God is greater than my fears. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. He is sovereign. And He loves me. His perfect love casts out all of my fears.
(Psalm 18:2) (Psalms 135:5) Job 42:2) (Eph. 3:20) (1 John 4:18)
I’m saying no to my fears because the grace of God has taught me to say no. For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
(Titus 2:11-12) (2 Timothy 1:7)
I’m saying no to my fears because I’m no longer a slave to fear. I’m no longer a slave to my sins. God has already redeemed me.
(Isaiah 43:1) (Romans 8:15-16) (Colossians 1:13-14)
I’m saying no to my fears because I am free. I am a child of God. And the Lord Jesus Christ has set me free indeed.
(Romans 6:22) (Romans 8:1-4) (Gal. 5:1) (Romans 8:21) (John 8:36) (Eph. 3:12)
Fears are among the enemy’s most popular forms of deception. The enemy capitalizes on our problems, on our weaknesses, on our difficult situations, and there in our vulnerable moments, he fills our hearts with fears. But, here lies the truth. The problem is not that we have problems; because problems will always come. The problem is not that we are weak; because God will always give us strength. The problem is not that we are in a difficult situation; because God is always with us. The problem is our fears. The problem is that we allow ourselves to be limited, controlled and weighed down by our fears. Fears are simply fears. They are sheer lies of the Devil that blind us from God’s love and sovereignty. We spend so much of our time worrying about things that never even happen. We allow our every move and decision to be controlled by our “what ifs”, when the “what is” that God offers us is an abundant life filled with peace and purpose.
What are you afraid of right now?
What temptation most often defeats you?
What sin are you struggling with the most?
Whether it is anxiety, pride, lust, distrust, or idolatry, whatever it may be, I want to remind you that you are free.
“God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13b)
There is no temptation too great, no sin too powerful. Don’t let the enemy make you think otherwise. Fix your eyes on Jesus and always remember who you are. You are no longer a slave to sin. You are a child of God. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. With God by your side, no one can stand against you.
As long as you have Jesus, you are free.
I’ve been letting the enemy win long enough, all that is going to change from this moment on.
This 2018, I’m saying no.
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