Three Tools for Overcoming Fear

 By Andrea Merrell

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, 

but of power and of love and of a sound mind.             

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

 

Fear is a spirit that tries to harass us day and night. I lived under this bondage for a large portion of my life. But God has given us three tools to conquer fear:  power, love, and a sound mind. 

 

POWER

Jesus told His disciples they would be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 NIV). The Passion translation calls it “the mighty power from heaven.” This power gives us the ability to put on the armor of God (Eph. 6) and then stand firm and strong against the deceit and tactics of the Enemy, resist him, and trust that God will fight the battle for us. When we speak God’s Word, we release power.

LOVE

Love is the greatest force in the universe (1 Cor. 13)—a life-changing force that covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). Fear contains torment, but perfect love (God’s agape love) drives away all fear (1 John 4:18). Love—the love of God in us—never fails.

SOUND MIND

We have been given the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). When we allow His mind to be in us, it creates sound judgment, personal discipline, and abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control. We are transformed by renewing our mind with God’s Word (Rom. 12:2).

The Word makes it clear that fear has no place in our life as a child of God. We have been given His power, His very own love, and a sound (self-controlled) mind. It’s a matter of trusting God, submitting to Him, resisting the Enemy, and watching the fear flee from us.

 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

 

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Fear has no place in the life of a child of God. He has given us tools to overcome fear. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.) 

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What's In It for Me?

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By Andrea Merrell

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3 NLT

 

When asked for a small favor, the man responded, “What’s in it for me?”

Selfishness—the state of being overly concerned with one’s self—has pervaded our society. It has become a dog-eat-dog, us-four-and-no-more, every-man-for-himself mentality. Masks, isolation, and social distancing have only added to the problem. Put it all together and it creates fear. 

But what does God say? Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. The MSG puts it like this: Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

One of the greatest blessings in life is reaching out to others—without a single thought of what’s in it for me? It brings joy, peace, and the deep satisfaction of knowing we are pleasing our heavenly Father and being obedient to His Word.

Put away selfish thoughts. Be generous. Lend a helping hand. Be a blessing in whatever way you can. When you continually sow seeds of kindness, you will reap a harvest when you need it most.

 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

 

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Be a blessing in whatever way you can. When you continually sow seeds of kindness, you will reap a harvest when you need it most. via @Andrea Merrell (Click to tweet.)

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What Do You Expect?

 By Andrea Merrell

 

We expect our fill of good things in your house,

your heavenly manse. 

Psalm 65:5 MSG

 

Are you expecting? No, this has nothing to do with being pregnant.

 

When guests are coming for dinner, we say we’re expecting company. If the check is (truly) in the mail, we fully expect it to arrive. We expect the sun to rise, the car to start, and the light to come on when we flip the switch.

 

But what do we expect from God? Harsh judgement? A deaf ear? Unfair treatment? Or maybe nothing at all.

 

The Bible is full of God’s promises, and the way we appropriate those promises is by believing them. Using our faith. In other words, we expect God to keep His Word.

 

When we make a promise to a child, that child counts on us to keep it. In the same way, we—as God’s children—can count on Him to keep His. It’s a matter of faith. And hope. And trust.

 

So, what are you expecting?

 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and David Castillo Dominici.)

 

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You Are Not Worthless

 By Andrea Merrell

You’re worthless.

I heard those words so many times growing up that I believed them. They affected my confidence, my self-esteem, and my relationship with others. I became a people-pleaser who tried hard but never measured up to the standards and expectations of others—at least in my own mind.

But everything changed for me when I found out what God’s Word says and what He thinks about me. It can change for you too.

If anyone has ever made you feel worthless, listen to what God says about you:

• You are loved with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)
• You have been bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
• You are a joint-heir with Jesus. (Romans 8:17)
• You have been adopted into God’s family. (Ephesians 1:5)
• You are seated in heavenly places with Christ. (Ephesians 2:6)
• You are redeemed. (Galatians 3:13)
• You have been set free. (John 8:36)
• You are the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
• You are accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
• You are forgiven. (Colossians 1:14)
• You are chosen. (1 Peter 2:9)
• You are the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:12)

God’s agape love sees us as a treasure. A person of great worth. And that’s the way He wants us to see ourselves. The good news is His opinion is the only one that counts.

So rejoice, my friend. You are a beloved child of the living God. You are priceless.

 

 Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash

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God’s agape love sees His children as a treasure, people of great worth. And His opinion is the only one that counts. via @Andrea Merrell (Click to tweet.)

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Is God Bigger than Your Giant?

 By Andrea Merrell

David shouted in reply, “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel … Today the Lord will conquer you.”   

1 Samuel 17:45-46 TLB

 

I was stressed to the max, over-analyzing the problem and worrying about it as if it were all up to me to fix it.

When will I ever learn? I asked myself for the umpteenth time.

What it comes down to is our perception of God. How big is He? Is He ready, willing, and more than able to handle our problems?

The answer is a resounding YES!

John Ortberg says:

When we make the mistake of shrinking God, we offer prayer without faith, work without passion, service without joy, and suffering without hope—which results in fear, retreat, loss of vision, and failure to persevere.

David was a small shepherd boy who looked past Goliath’s size. He knew his God was bigger than any giant he would ever encounter. David also knew the battle belonged to the Lord.

No matter what you’re going through, the next time a giant steps in your path, call on the Lord and let Him fight the battle. The good news is He never fails.

And He’s way bigger than the giant standing in your way.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Sira Anamwong.)

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No matter what you’re going through, the next time a giant steps in your path, call on the Lord and let Him fight the battle. via @AndreaMerrell(Click to tweet.)

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