OVERCOMING FEAR

And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”  

And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” (‭Joshua‬ ‭10‬:‭8, 25‬ ESV)

One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!"

Have you ever been afraid?  I know I have.  This could come in a low grade fear of meeting someone new or having to go somewhere out of your comfort zone to some terrifying fear that you are experiencing in your life because of some haunting experience.

The Gibeonites had summoned Joshua and the children of Israel to come and fight for them in battle. God encourages Joshua - "not fear them" and then Joshua encourages his troops to "not be afraid or dismayed."

It's one thing to hear "don't be afraid" and its another to believe "don't be afraid.  It's the living out of that promise that makes all the difference in the world.

If we are all honest at this point - we will all admit that we deal with some fear in our lives.  It could be fear of the dark, fear of heights, fear of people, fear of germs, fear of tight places, fear of making a decision, etc.  The list could go on and on.

I know for my part that I've always struggled with the fear of people and what they think.  Even though I've come a long way in this regard - my old nature still pops up every once in a while reinforcing the fact that I'm still human and have not yet arrived in heaven.

Psalm 37 helps us to understand a little about dealing with your fears...

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (‭Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭1-7‬ ESV)

Look at the phrases in this passage that help us overcome fear...

- Fret not

- Be not envious

- Trust in the Lord

- Do good

- Dwell in the land

- Befriend faithfulness

- Delight yourself in the Lord

- Commit your way to the Lord

- Be still

These are all but a simple reminder that we must get up everyday, go about our business, put it in the hands of the Lord, and wait for Him to come through.  It's plodding along, doing the right things and trusting God to come through - even when you don't see His hand working on your behalf.

When fears attack, I often feel quite alone. No one could possibly understand how powerful the fears I face can be. It doesn’t make sense, but it is real to me. I can become embarrassed by my fears and that can lead to even more fear in my life, like a fear of rejection.

Fear is a powerful enemy, so we need a powerful ally to overcome them. The good news is that there is someone who can help you overcome your fear. His name is Jesus Christ, God’s Son. He came into the world to free us from the things that hurt us. He came to deliver those who are held captive, even when the prison is made of fears.

Jesus understands our fears. He provided a solution, His friendship. When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, He agrees to guide us through life. He offers us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit and, He helps us to overcome fear by allowing us to experience His perfect love.

“He helps us to overcome fear...” Have you found that you feel alone when you are fearful?

Jesus promises never to leave you or forsake you. 1 John 4:18 says: “No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn't have perfect love.” (God’s Word Translation)

Because Jesus loves us, we can defeat the fears in our lives We can overcome the feelings of “No one will understand” with a sense of His love. Jesus promises that He will stick closer to us than a brother. Your fears are very real to you but they do not need to control your life. You can take back that control by allowing Jesus Christ to help you.

It begins with a simple prayer like this: “Dear Jesus, Please forgive me for the wrong things I have done. I ask You to change me and make me whole. I need Your help to overcome fear’s hold on my life. Let Your perfect love cast out my fears! I choose to live for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”