No Longer a Slave to Fear

Everyone experiences fear. Fear can be crippling and incredibly difficult to overcome. But it CAN be overcome.

I lived most of my past life sitting in the middle of fear. In my rearview mirror, I can see my old self sitting huddled in a corner with so many opportunities flying around her. All she would have to do is reach up and grab just one, but she was too afraid. She would think, “What would people think of me?” or “I don’t know how to do that!”, and then anxiety and panic would set in to overcome her. Instead of standing up and stepping out into the full life God had prepared for her, she kept her head down, her focus inward, and let life pass her by.

And then, when all seemed lost and she could not go on one more day, she cried out to Jesus. With one great swoop of His strong arm, like daytime charging in to break the night, He changed everything.

Thinking about my past life and the way things used to be, I can only shake my head in awe of all the Father has done.

“Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.”

Luke 8:35

Through Christ, I have overcome the fear of people, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of heights, fear of roller coasters, and the overwhelming fear of being out of control. I have overcome the fear of saying, “Yes,” and the fear of trying new things.

I’ve overcome the fear of confrontation… but in a very interesting turn of events, I found that confrontation is most often not necessary. God can take care of things much better than I can, and He speaks directly to the heart of every matter. Fear puts us in fight or flight mode, and we often feel like we have to fight our way out of some situations. But God’s ways are much different than ours. When we are holding on to fear, we do not know what good thing God has for us just around the corner.

But I digress…

Through no power of my own, I have overcome the fear of being vulnerable… of sharing myself, my heart, my true feelings, experiences, anxieties, and apprehensions… when the time is right, when the door is open. Yes, I’m strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. I am also simply leaning on Christ, and I need partners in the faith who will encourage me, and whom I can encourage in return.

I did not overcome these particular fears on my own. It was not my own strength that set me free from the private prison in which I once existed. It was Jesus.

“They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was Your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from Your face that helped them, for You loved them.”

Psalm 44:3

I have never felt such love as the love of Christ. The Bible says, “there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear,” (1 John 4:18) and that is a true statement.

In my old life, I was completely bound by rejection, abandonment, guilt, condemnation, and fear. But when I received the revelation of God’s grace, everything changed. Now I know deep down inside that I Am Loved by a perfect Father who sees me clearly, knows me intimately, and loves me anyway. Not in spite of who I am, but because of who HE is. I am His own special treasure (Deut 7:6). He delights in me (Zeph 3:17).

Life changes when you know you are loved, protected, surrounded, treasured by One who is able to take care of everything that concerns you. He is not a distant God, and He is not passive. He moves, and He rebukes the enemy on behalf of those who love and trust in Him (Psalm 18).

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 (my life verse)

I recently read that the phrase “do not fear” is in the Bible 365 times. In my old life, that small set of words would bring me temporary comfort. When I was afraid, I would repeat the words, “do not fear for I am with you.” I would say it over in my mind – do not fear, do not fear, do not fear – until I felt better. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

When Jesus turned the light on in my heart, I realized that “do not fear” is not a suggestion or a pretty sentiment given to make us feel better. It’s a command set forth to make us free once and for all.

Do not fear. Do not be dismayed. Why?

• Because God is my God and He is with me.
• He himself will strengthen me.
• He himself will help me.
• He will uphold me with His own hand.

If God is with me and I trust in Him, I have no reason to fear. Yes, bad things happen in life, but even then, God is with me and He will not let me go. He will take care of me through good times and bad.

“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Isaiah 41:13

God is telling us “do not fear” because we have no need to fear when He is by our side. And if He is telling us “do not fear,” that means we have the ability to choose whether or not we will walk in fear. It means He has given us authority to say NO to fear.

And this is the revelation that set my mind free from fear’s tangle-y grip…

If God has told me NOT to fear, and He has given me the authority to say NO to fear, then that means the ONLY power fear has over me is what I allow it to have.

Let that sink in for a minute.

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

Psalm 34:4-5

God’s purpose for us is to walk in the authority He has given us, based on His Word, in humble submission to the Father. Not out of some misplaced sense of obligation, but because we are LOVED.

Fear comes only to steal, kill, and destroy… but he has no legal right to do so. It’s time to stand up, bind and rebuke fear, and tell it to go, in Jesus’ name. Our God covers us with His feathers, and under His wings we find refuge. His faithfulness is our protective shield (Psalm 91:4). What have we to fear?