Lately, I've been aggravated with myself. I want to muster up the strength and courage it takes to face each day with the best mindset instead of beginning with setbacks or negative thinking.
I've been investigating my own life as to why I am allowing such things to occur. The answer as simply as I can put it:
FEAR
I like to gain a solid understanding not only of myself, like why I do the things I do (or don't do). What are my motives? Am I living for God alone in each and every moment of every day? Am I looking forward not backward? How am I moving ahead and not remaining stagnant; or am I? What do I allow to hold me back from the victorious life God has chosen for me? Why do I not live victoriously? All of these questions seem to be whirling around in my mind amongst my every day activities. Although the surface of deep waters is calm, there is often much going on underneath that can't be viewed without being immersed in it.
This got me to studying: what is fear? Why do I fear? What do I fear? Is fear real? Should it be real? Should I be fearing what I fear or am I allowing myself to be overwhelmed by something minuscule?
While I cannot claim all of this as my own, it's a plethora of information that I've conduced to fit into my brain and thought patterns so I can more easily apply it. For me to understand something, I first have to define it; or find similar words or even opposite items to best determine a meaning.
Thus, fear-what is the opposite of fear? Courage? Bravery? Power? Solidarity? Excitement? Eagerness?
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV)
"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
In 1 John 4:16-19 (ESV) it says:
"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgement, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us."
Therefore, the opposite of fear is love. God's love. His perfect love casts out fear. Then the answer must be, how do I overcome fear? I focus on God's love for me and simply live in His love. He loved me first, so it is not contingent upon my loving Him. With Him being sovereign, that means absolutely nothing in this world or in my life actually depends on me. What a relief! I am glad that I do not carry that burden. Which leads me to thinking, well--what about the world? I am just one tiny part of it, so while I can work on focusing on God's love, what do I do when I go out into the world and face the world?
Cue my anxiety. But as a believer, I am to be anxious in nothing. I think I can do that, right? Of course, because I have faith in God! (Now, for me it takes a lot of work and concentration to take every thought captive unto the obedience of Christ, but we are all working on something). Now, what is faith?
In Hebrews 11:1-3 (ESV) we read:
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."
Then in 1 John 5:1-5 (ESV) the Bible states:
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are no burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
Read that again: faith is the victory that overcomes the world. How do we get to faith? By loving God and loving others (two greatest commandments, as well)! We show our love by being obedient to Him. This also shows that we belong to Him. Anyone, then, that belongs to Him, has overcome the world through their faith in Him. It's like a never-ending circle of explanation, each being interconnected to the other.
Now, back to my original question: what is fear and how do I overcome it? I don't exactly know what fear is other than disobedience. Since obedience is showing my love to God and others, then fear is simply disobedience. How do I overcome it? I need to live each day in faith and love. God's love for me and my obedience to Him casts away all fear-I need to live in God's love! Faith is the victory that has overcome the world-I need to live out my faith in God! Not only by doing these things everyday can I be victorious, but I can begin each day in victory. Why?
Past tense. Pay attention to detail, now. Faith is the victory that has overcome the world. This means it isn't something that hasn't happened yet, rather, something that is already accomplished. When Jesus was obedient, even to death on a cross and become a sacrifice for many; appointed once to die for all--that's when it was finished. He even spoke, "It is finished".
By living out my faith in God by being obedient to Him, in response to His love for me and trusting Him in everything means I already have all I need to live victoriously. The day is already won. I do not need to go out and face anything--I can live in victory. Christ's victory over death and the grave.
No comments:
Post a Comment