For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
There is an acronym for F.E.A.R. that has helped me to choose faith over fear—well, two, actually. The acronym stands for two choices that we all have to make: “Forget Everything and Run” or “Face Everything and Rise!” I choose the latter. At some point or another, every saint will face fear with this decision: “Will I persevere and move forward, or will I shrink back and stay where I am comfortable?”
Fear can be facing an upcoming uncomfortable conversa- tion, rejection, or a sense of impending doom from a performance expectation. We all must manage our F.E.A.R., and thus, you need a strategy for overcoming it in the moment of decision. That strategy includes reciting God’s words aloud so you can feel what God feels, for faith comes by “hearing” the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Here are a few of God’s words that empower me to move forward in the face of F.E.A.R.
It is written...
- “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
- “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
- “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
- “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncir- cumcised Philistine will be like one of them.” (1 Samuel 17:36)
- “We overwhelmingly conqueror through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
When you are facing fear, remember what faith stands for:
F.A.I.T.H. = Forward Action Inspired Through Him.
REFLECT TO CONNECT
- When was the last time you were paralyzed by fear?
- Do you have a strategy for overcoming?
- In what ways has God challenged you to leave your comfort zone and set sail for uncharted territory?
You are made to be a conqueror through His Word, which gives you power to overcome.
