When I am
afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I
will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? -- Psalm 56:3-4
Most of the shadows of this life are caused
by our standing in our own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Percentage of Americans with Phobias (Fears):
SOCIAL PHOBIA - Approximately 5.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 3.7
percent of people in this age group, have social phobia.
AGORAPHOBIA - Agoraphobia involves intense fear of any place or situation where
escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of developing sudden
panic-like symptoms. Approximately 3.2
million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.2 percent of people in this
age group have agoraphobia.
SPECIFIC PHOBIA - Specific phobia involves marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a
specific object or situation. Approximately
6.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 4.4 percent of people in
this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia."
Source:
National Institute of Mental Health
How long have you found yourself
taking up residency by living your life in the shadow of fear? Fear can be such a fascinating field of
study. It not only deals with the phobias
listed above, but also involves the fear of the unknown, being unsure, or being
indecisive about what you are doing and what you should be doing with your
life.
The truth I have found, learned,
lived and want to pass on is that there is no fear that can cripple those
individuals who claim Jesus as the Lord of their lives. There is no fear for the man, woman, or young
adult who lives a life of faith, trust, and devotion to the Written and Living
Word of God.
Don’t give up –
God has a plan for you!
God says...
"For
I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 29:11 has long been one
of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is also one verse that is right in the middle of a situation when God
disciplined His children. The
book of Jeremiah was written in exile. The Israelites were in an exile
from Jerusalem to Babylon. They were hopeless. They did not see
the light at the end of the tunnel. Why?
God
had disciplined them because they were disobedient to Him and had turned their attention or worship to false gods. We read In Jeremiah 29:11 “This
is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile
from Jerusalem to Babylon.” "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
God says in our most difficult of
circumstances and our greatest fears...“I have a plan for you.”
Have you been in a situation like this where there is no way out? Where it seems hopeless?
CHALLENGE: Develop a new definition of fear!
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF -- MOVING
FROM YOUR FEARS TO HOPES...
·
CURRENT
ATTITUDE: False Expectations Appearing
Real
QUESTION: What is a fear that has invaded your mind and consumed a
great deal of time and energy from your life?
However, in retrospect was it a fabrication constructed from past
experiences, expectations, and assumptions creating the paranoia of a possible
reality on the horizon that never materializes?
·
NEW
ATTITUDE: Face
Everything
And
Rejoice
QUESTION: When was the last
time you were able to come face-to-face with a fear, concern, or anxiety where
you managed to perceive that fear as an enemy of the mind and resolved to turn
the inward feelings of discouragement to an outward faithfulness of rejoicing?
·
FUTURE
ATTITUDE: Forget
Everything
And
Remember
“We are all here for some special reason. Stop
being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.” –
Robin Sharma
QUESTION: Have you held on
to an area of your life, whether past or current life, that has shackled your
life down with way too much excess baggage that needs to be lifted off the mind
or heart?
Doing
an inventory of genuine items that have plagued you with mental pain, physical
ailments, and/or crippled current relationships is the first step to bring
resolve, recovery, and the ability to remember that God has not disowned you, nor
has He forgotten about you -- In fact you are on His mind and He wants you to
desperately let go of the past and remember Him, rejoice in Him, and know that
He is your source of renewal for a fresh start and new life.
Next blog...part 2
- HOPE THAT IS LIVED IS HOPE THAT IS ALIVE
