Goliath: facing fear

Goliath: facing fear by ric gustafson


Fear is the ultimate enemy and we cannot see beyond the bend in the road. God gave fear to us so we can become wise to protect ourselves from the unexpected. Fear is a basic survival instinct that can be good or bad. The bad is that it could become a phobia in our lives. People in the Bible also had fear in their lives. The disciples were fearful of storms, crowds and the loss of their leader.
Fear hampers our freedom of faith. First, fear gets in the way of God's plan for our lives. If fear dominates our life, we cannot claim God's blessings for our life. Second, fear distorts God's purpose for our life. Fear brings out the worst in us. It brings in complaining, distrust and despair. Third, fear discourages God's people. Fear affects everyone around us. Fear could at it's worst breed hysteria. Lastly, fear goes against God's principles. The Bible stresses a little phrase and that is to fear not. God commands us to fear not and to trust him always.
So how do we face fear?. First, we must confront our fear honestly. Fear will not go away on it's own. We need to figure out what is at the root of our fears. Second, we need to treat fear as sin. When we fear we are actually sinning. We need to bring our fears to God as honest confession. Third, God promises his protection from fear. The Bible is filled with God's promises. Lastly, the ultimate fear is death itself. The Apostle Paul wrote that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Jesus dying on the cross for us broke the chains of death and it has no power over us.
In faith, we can tell fear to go away knowing that we will be in heaven forever with God.


research help: ' Slaying The Giants In Your Life' by David Jeremiah


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric