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No Need to Fear...TAKE 3!

3/13/2020

So, I spent quite a bit of time typing a post on fear and when I hit "post" in order to publish it to the web, the only part that posted was the title, not the post itself...not once, but twice! Imagine that! Let's try that again...

It has been a while since I updated this journal blog. The holidays came, life happened, and to be honest, I got out of the habit of writing. However, my complacency in writing was challenged when COVID-19 hit the world bringing with it panic like I have never seen. It is time for Christians to rise up and communicate to everyone that there is no need to fear! Should we be wise and take precautions? ABSOLUTELY! Should we panic, buy out all the toilet paper and food, and hunker down in total isolation? NO! Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave in His death and resurrection...that includes coronavirus! He is our Prince of Peace, and He will bring peace now if we allow Him.

Below is an excerpt from my book, Refining Relationships. I have taken a portion from Chapter 5, "Spiritual Warfare in Relationships." In that chapter, I talk about how the enemy wants to destroy relationships. Part of the chapter talks about his first go-to tactic to bring division: FEAR. This excerpt is also a good reminder that we do not have to fear during this time the whole world seems to be falling into pandemonium over COVID-19:

We know it is not God who gives fear because of 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The good news is that as we develop our relationship with God and receive His unconditional love for us, fear cannot stay.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

God is the only One who truly loves us with a perfect love. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more than He already does. There is also nothing we can do to make God love us less. When someone really understands this truth and receives God’s love, she realizes there is absolutely nothing to fear. The moment we look to someone else to love us perfectly, fear will start to creep back in, since no human besides Jesus can fulfill our need to be loved perfectly. In other words, the antidote to fear is the perfect love of God; expecting others to love us perfectly will only create more fear.

The Bible has much to say about the dangers of the type of fear that comes from the enemy, but it also has much to say about a positive fear that comes from God (the fear of the Lord). I pondered this and prayed for God’s perspective on this paradox. I then had a realization that fear is the act of acknowledging that someone or something has power over you. Think about it: when you fear anything other than God, be it a person, heights, public speaking, spiders, or any situation, you are really believing that whatever you fear is more powerful than you are. However, when you reverently fear the Lord, acknowledging that He has power over your life, you will consequently have peace of mind. Why? First of all, He loves us perfectly—so we know He will never take advantage of us. Secondly, God has ultimate power over all and knows everything; thus, we know that He will protect and guide us into what is best for us.

Here are just a few selections of the Bible’s passages about the fear of God:
And to man He said,
“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:28

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:26-27

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble. Proverbs 15:16

The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil. Proverbs 19:23

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Acts 9:31

When we fear the Lord, we have assurance that He is our refuge and defense. We know this because He is the most powerful being of all. No one is greater. He has the final say over all other gods. When you acknowledge God’s power and surrender your life to Him, you can rest assured that you are more than a conqueror through Him!

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No Need to Fear...TAKE 3!

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No Need to Fear: Excerpt from Chapter 5, "Spiritual Warfare in Relationships"

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