I am reading Max Lucado's book Fearless and taking many notes as I hope to apply his Biblical principles to my life as I suffer with an anxiety disorder. I encourage anyone who believes they might benefit to follow my notes or read my blogs on blogger or YourAvon.Com/JenniferHand and if you can, buy the book. :)
Imagine your life w/o fear~ Chapter 1~ Why are we afraid?~ "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"~ Matt. 8:26
Each sunrise seems to bring us new reasons for fear~lay-offs,slow~downs in the economy,flare~ups in the Middle East...a strain of swine flu crossing our border. Max says the plague of our day is terrorism which begins with the word "terror". Our generation depends on more mood altering drugs than any generation before us.
Fear is unwilling to share the heart, especially for anything positive like happiness. For all of the space it encompasses and noise it makes, fear sure does little good. Max says it "herds us into a prison and slams the door"
Fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness. It gives us temporary amnesia. We forget how good God is and what He has done for us~{He got me off of narcotic drugs, drew from homeless and needy to become a cheerful giver, He turned my suicidal tendencies to an overwhelming joy~a thankfullness and realization of who He really is and what He has done! I tend to be less angered by certain sin and more hurt for the sinner who is clueless}~but when we are anxious, we "forget" these small miracles
Fear unleashes a swarm of doubts often angry doubts~why is God doing this?
Fear turns us into control freaks. We feel backed into a corner and the only way we know to get out is to control the people and things around us.
Jesus does not want us to fear. The Bible contains at least 15 imperatives not to fear most of them coming directly from the mouth of our Savior:
1~"Do not be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows." ~ Matt. 10:33
2~"Take courage, son;your sins are forgiven"~Matt.9:2
3~"I tell you not to worry about everyday life;whether you have enough."~Matt.6:25
4~"But when Jesus heard it, He answered him,saying,Fear not:believe only,& she shall be made whole"~Luke 8:50
5~"But straightway Jesus spake to them saying,Be of good cheer;it is I;be not afraid."~Matt. 14:27
6~"And be not afraid of them who kill the body,but are not able to kill the soul"~Matt. 10:28A
7~"Fear not, little flock;for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."~Luke 12:32
8~"Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God;believe also in me."~John 14:1
9~"And if I go and prepare a place for you,I come again,& will receive you unto myself;that where I am, you may be also."~ John 14:3
10~"Peace I leave with you;my peace I give unto you:not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled or let it be fearful."~ John 14:27
11~"And He said to them, why are you troubled? Wherefore do questionings arise in your heart?"~ Luke 24:38
12~"And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars;see that you are not troubled:for these things must come to pass; but the end is not yet."~Matt. 24:6
13~"And Jesus came and touched them and said Arise, and be not afraid."~Matt.17:7
14~"For God has not given us a spirit of fear"~ 2Tim. 1:7
15~"Why are you fearful,O you of little faith?"~Matt. 8:26
Getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked. Disciples should expect rough seas and stout winds.~
"In the world, you WILL have tribulation."~ John 16:33
It is not the absence of storms that sets christians apart~it is who we discover in the storm~"an unstirred Christ" ~
"And behold, there was a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with waves: but He {Christ} was asleep."
~Matt 8:24~
"And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on a cushion..."~Mark 4:38
Fear itself is not a sin, but it can lead to sin. If we medicate our fear with angry outbursts,drinking binges, sullen withdrawals, self~starvation, or vise~like control we are eliminating God from the solution & therefore, worsen the problem. Hysteria is not from God. He does not want us to fear. Fear may fill our world, but we do not have to let it fill our hearts. The promise of Christ is simple:
We can fear less tomorrow than we do today. Simply put:Trust the Lord.
In the words of His disciples " What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him." ~ Matt. 8:27
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