Glad to reconnect with you. It has been awhile. It is so easy to get distracted along the way. Daily we must fight to not allow things, like fear to distract or derail us (...but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus - Phil 3:13-14). We must learn to press pass our fears. Fear is something we all experience. We fear failure, fear being alone, fear the unknown, fear what might be, what could happen, what might not happen. We have a fear that things won't change, the fear of ... and the list goes on. Fear is real and if we are not careful, and quickly learn to deal with it, it can derail us (For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of sound mind - 2 Tim:1:7). Many of our relational issues can be traced back to fear. Unfortunately, because we are fearful, we attempt to control everything and everyone. We operate in life and in our relationships in weakness, selfishness, and faulty thinking; rather than through God's power, love and sound thinking. So as we attempt to press pass our fears, and it is a press, we find help in Psalm 27:1. Fear enters when we focus on our situation and see our inability to change or control it. David refused to focus on his fears: The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear; The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? - Ps: 27:1. Certainly he had fears during this difficult and dangerous time in his life, but he stop looking at them and put his focus on the Lord instead. He did not focus on his fear of darkness or the unknown, because the Lord was His light. He did not focus on his fear of his demise or destruction because the Lord was his salvation. He did not focus on his fear of failure because of his weaknesses, because the Lord was his strength. The key to David's victory over his fears was his focus (What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You - Ps 56:3 AMP, and Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation - Is 12:2). We must work at not focusing on our fears but shift our focus to our God who is Faithful. Fear is the opposite of Faith. When we give attention to our fears we give life to them. Left unchecked, they grow and eventually entangle and immobilize us. We have to remind ourselves that the spirit of fear is not from God and remember that the Lord loves us (And we have known and believed the love that God has for us,...There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment - I John 4:16a, 18a). Let's stop allowing our fears to taunt and torment us and start looking to the Lord who is our light, salvation and strength. shifting my focus, Diane p.s. This week let's face our fears, acknowledging the areas that we have been in operating fear and shift our focus. Meditate on Ps 27:1. Every time a fear arises within us, let's shift our focus, look to the Lord. Repeat Ps 27:1 and II Tim 1:7, aloud if necessary. p.p.s. Don't forget to subscribe to receive post automatically by entering your email in box, top, right . |
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