by Leon Fontaine - website@springschurch.com
Life's Issues (newspaper article) .
Often we think that a little worry or anxiety is harmless, but fear has a way of amplifying and taking over. God never intended you to live in fear; He wants you to live in faith.
Fear has an ability to create a picture within you. It’s an anticipation of something bad happening in the future, causing you to envision the worst scenario. As far as your heart is concerned, it’s as though you experience the worst possible outcome as if it’s has already happened.
A vision that is created by fear is incredibly destructive. It will torment your mind and infect your thoughts increasingly over time if you allow it. Often we think that a little worry or anxiety is harmless, but fear has a way of amplifying and taking over. God never intended you to live in fear; He wants you to live in faith.
Fear is the direct opposite of faith. Faith also paints a picture for the future, but it imagines a great outcome and believes it as though it’s a reality. Faith and fear both create a vision inside of you, and you can choose which of the two you focus on.
Fear masks as other emotions.
Sometimes we don’t recognize that we’re in fear because it can mask as other emotions. For example, if something causes you to get angry instantly, fear may be at the root. Many people are unaware that their frustration and irritability is often rooted in fear. When they see the root, they can get to the heart of the issue and grow beyond it.
Feeling fear is unavoidable, but being controlled by fear is optional.
You will need to face fear throughout your life, but just because you feel fear doesn’t mean you’re not courageous. You see, courage involves doing the right thing regardless of how you feel. A courageous person feels just as much fear as the next person, yet they do the right thing regardless of the fear.
Face fear and step into your destiny.
A man named Gideon had a destiny to lead God’s people into battle. Yet he felt he was the lowest of the low. He was hiding from those who oppressed his people out of fear when God asked him to save Israel.
God told Gideon "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?" But Gideon said “Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." (Judges 6:14-15 Message Bible) Fear will paralyse you from being who God wants you to be. Gideon didn’t let fear win; he listened to God and pushed past his fear. God used him incredibly by helping him to lead an uprising against the Midianites and achieve victory with a very small force of men.
Fear can’t stop you if you keep building your relationship with God.
A fearful vision can’t attach itself to you when you spend time in God’s Word and go after His wisdom. If you open the door to fear by not staying in the Word, it will take control of your life. However, if you continue to spend time reading the Bible and meditating on what it means for your life, God will take your hand and expand your mind with true wisdom and knowledge so you can avoid the snares of fear. You’ll dream big, make wise decisions, and put your trust and confidence in God.
There are areas of your life where you are being held back by fear. You may hesitate to confront issues in your marriage because of fear. You may have fears that you are passing down to your kids or you may limit their lives by the fears you have for them. Recognize fear and refuse to let it control you. You can feel the fear and press through it into all God has for you.
A vision that is created by fear is incredibly destructive. It will torment your mind and infect your thoughts increasingly over time if you allow it. Often we think that a little worry or anxiety is harmless, but fear has a way of amplifying and taking over. God never intended you to live in fear; He wants you to live in faith.
Fear is the direct opposite of faith. Faith also paints a picture for the future, but it imagines a great outcome and believes it as though it’s a reality. Faith and fear both create a vision inside of you, and you can choose which of the two you focus on.
Fear masks as other emotions.
Sometimes we don’t recognize that we’re in fear because it can mask as other emotions. For example, if something causes you to get angry instantly, fear may be at the root. Many people are unaware that their frustration and irritability is often rooted in fear. When they see the root, they can get to the heart of the issue and grow beyond it.
Feeling fear is unavoidable, but being controlled by fear is optional.
You will need to face fear throughout your life, but just because you feel fear doesn’t mean you’re not courageous. You see, courage involves doing the right thing regardless of how you feel. A courageous person feels just as much fear as the next person, yet they do the right thing regardless of the fear.
Face fear and step into your destiny.
A man named Gideon had a destiny to lead God’s people into battle. Yet he felt he was the lowest of the low. He was hiding from those who oppressed his people out of fear when God asked him to save Israel.
God told Gideon "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?" But Gideon said “Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." (Judges 6:14-15 Message Bible) Fear will paralyse you from being who God wants you to be. Gideon didn’t let fear win; he listened to God and pushed past his fear. God used him incredibly by helping him to lead an uprising against the Midianites and achieve victory with a very small force of men.
Fear can’t stop you if you keep building your relationship with God.
A fearful vision can’t attach itself to you when you spend time in God’s Word and go after His wisdom. If you open the door to fear by not staying in the Word, it will take control of your life. However, if you continue to spend time reading the Bible and meditating on what it means for your life, God will take your hand and expand your mind with true wisdom and knowledge so you can avoid the snares of fear. You’ll dream big, make wise decisions, and put your trust and confidence in God.
There are areas of your life where you are being held back by fear. You may hesitate to confront issues in your marriage because of fear. You may have fears that you are passing down to your kids or you may limit their lives by the fears you have for them. Recognize fear and refuse to let it control you. You can feel the fear and press through it into all God has for you.
