FEAR FACTOR
November 10, 2020
Prayer: Lord help me not to live a life of fear but of faith in You.
Scripture: I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Luke 12:4-7 NAS
Fear can be a terrible stronghold in a person’s life. Fear is actually the opposite of faith. When we operate in fear we tell God that He is not big enough or trustworthy enough; that somehow the thing we fear is bigger than God. When we read it that way, fear really does not make a whole lot of sense, does it?
People fear many things. I have spent years battling fear; fear of failure was my worst enemy. How does it manipulate or change the way you wish you could live life? What do your students fear? How deep do you see those fears affecting them? What are the consequences? What does fear steal from us?
Faith magnifies God and activates the Spirit in us. Fear holds us captive, while faith catapults us into amazing opportunities, achieving dreams, and new experiences. Fear keeps us from trying, faith perseveres. Fear manipulates, faith motivates. Fear steals, faith reveals.
That is a lot to think about; which of those statements resonates with you? Do you see students operating out of fear? Do you see students and/or teachers operating out of fear? What are they afraid of? Do you see people using fear to manipulate others? How do you break the bonds of fear and operate in faith?
Faith seeks to glorify God; it trusts Him with the results of all that matters to us. Faith allows God access to every area of our lives and says, “Glorify Yourself in my need, and my weakness.” Faith is strengthened in prayer and with fellowship of other Christians. Faith waits when God says, “Wait,” and moves when God says, “Move.” Faith does not analyze God–it obeys.
Fear controls, but faith brings freedom. Fear brings worry, faith builds confidence. Fear steals our opportunities and our happiness, faith provides and brings joy.
Now, what do you fear? I have learned that the only thing I have to fear is disobedience to God.
Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]