We have to acknowledge that not all fear is bad. There is some good fear. See Matthew 10:28 & Proverbs 1:7. This is true in life. An electrician should show fear of electricity. There is a healthy fear. There is also an unhealthy fear that causes doubt. You can say farewell to absurd fears?

1. The fact of fear

Fear is real. One of the Greek words for fear is where we get the word phobia. There are many phobias in this world. We may not have a phobia but we all struggle with everyday fears. We may be scared of suffering, getting sick or dying. We may have lost our loved one. God has not given us a spirit of fear.

2. The force of fear

Fear is one of the most powerful human emotions. It affects both the mind and the body. It touches the inside and the outside. Fear has a force

• Victimise – Fear will make a victim out of you. Many famous people have had fears. Howard Hughes was afraid of germs. Stalin was afraid of being murdered. Peter the Great was afraid to cross a bridge. Even people who love Jesus can have common every day fears.
• Neutralises – Many people are stuck because of fear. They can’t get on with their lives. David faced the giant that everyone else was afraid to tackle. What giant are you afraid of?
• Monopolise – It can take over your life and become a phobia. It then affects your actions. You tell yourself continually that you can’t do it.
• Paralyse – It has such control that you do absolutely nothing. You are so afraid of the thing you fear that you play it safe. You are not living up to your potential. God has not given us a spirit of fear. We are not to be slaves to fear.

3. The freedom from fear

We are given three mighty weapons against fear. We already have to these weapons as Christians:-

• The power to fight fear – We have power to fight fear and the Devil. See 1 John 4:4. We have explosive power within us. (The Greek word is the same word that we use for dynamite) See Psalm 27:1. We already have the power to fight fear. See Ephesians 1:18. We need to open our eyes and see we already have the power. We need to step out in faith.
• Love – This allows us to face fear. See 1 John 4:18. Perfect love will cast out of fear. It is God’s love that casts out fear. We need to examine God’s love for us. Everything that happens to us is for our good. God will use whatever happens in your life to your good and God’s glory.
• Sound mind – We have God’s perspective on life. We can realise how foolish fear is in our lives. FEAR is “False Evidence Appearing Real”. Often what we fear will not become real. We need God to let us see things from His perspective.

4. Conclusion

• We need to admit our fear – We are not to run or hide from it. See Psalm 56:3. We are not to make excuses. We all have baggage. None of us is perfect. Don’t live in your perfect world. We bleed, hurt, cry and get scared. You don’t need to admit to the world. You do need to admit to yourself.
• We need to activate our faith – God’s answer to fear is faith. Faith will slice up fear. See Psalm 112:7. If fear knocks and faith answers then there won’t be anybody at the door. You overcome flying by flying. You overcome a fear of water by getting in the water. You need to activate your faith.
• Acknowledge your father. See Isaiah 12:2. We are to trust in the Lord and not to be afraid. Turn your eyes upon the Lord and don’t be afraid. God is your strong tower. He will help you deal with your fear. Don’t be afraid to step out of your prison with faith. You can do all things with God by your side.

Categories: 2 Timothy