Dealing With Fear: Giving God Access
Search me oh God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts and see if there is any offensive way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23–24.
One of the most important things to do when you are wanting to deal with your fears is to figure out why they are there in the first place. Most people who are struggling with fear are not aware of the why of their fears, but they certainly are aware of the what and the who, and in many cases the when.
The what, who and when are usually easy to establish. We may be afraid of someone who hurt us, or someone who is different, or someone who is in a position of power, or perhaps even someone who reminds us of a person who has hurt us. We know that we are fearful of something, sometimes irrationally fearful of that thing, because when we see it or even think about it we are triggered to a fear response, or have some physiological, emotional or mental response to that thing. Even the when of a fear’s entry in our lives is identifiable in many cases. Likely because we felt a shift, even if it was gradual. Where you may not have been aware of fear before, now you are, to one degree or another.
It is when we come to the why conversation around fear that we are able to identify a shift from experiencing fear, to being fearful; why it started, and why this event or issue, differently than others, had the capacity to shift something in us. There is a big difference and distinction there isn’t there. We all experience fear at times, but being fearful is a different level, awareness, and experience of fear. This is when we take ownership of fears, and say things like “my fear is…” or describe fear by its capacity and ways that it controls us. It is in this place that we begin to find that fear is not just an experience that we have, but is an ongoing encounter and reality that we have difficulty getting free from, or even, not thinking about. Fear has shifter to become an unwelcome guest that does not want to leave or relinquish its hold on your life. This is a bondage that we need help to break free of in order to move forward.
In order to deal with fears, we need to go to the root of the issue and deal with the underlying lie that has been believed and agreed with, the wound that has been left unhealed and unchecked, the unforgiveness or resentment festering under the surface, or the spiritual entry point that the enemy uses to access and continue to torment you, keeping you in bondage to fear.
This is often not something that we are able to do on our own and we need outside intervention, insight, and discernment. Again we may know the who, the what and the when, but until the why is discovered and addressed we will not be able to break free, and move forward fully into freedom in Christ.
In order to do this we need to give God access to our souls. Not just the easy access points or the parts that we are comfortable with. King David in Psalm 139:23–24 understood this when he invited God to search him and know him. The Hebrew word for “to know” is tada and it speaks of a deep and full intimate knowing, where one is fully known, loved and accepted by the other. This searching by God was not with the intention to find things wrong with David. As we know from his story, David already knew about his disfunction, as we often do in our own stories. Rather, David’s choice to give God access to search him was an open invitation to reveal the things that were causing David to continue to walk out of alignment with God and into the things that kept him walking into and choosing sin and brokenness over God.
When God is given access, His goal is too bring light and love into the depths and darkness of the hidden places of the soul. He does this with the purpose not of condemnation, as that is not His way, but rather conviction which is onto reconciliation, redemption, and always onto life, and as David says, life everlasting. He comes with the agenda to search for that which does not belong in your soul and to bring it forward, so that with our permission and yielded choice, He can deal with it… together, with you. This requires access, an invitation and an open door. It will also require a level of trust in God that will at times be hard, but it will not leave you worse off. Remember the goal is redemption, renewal, healing, wholeness, freedom and a more hope-filled life. God is trustworthy, He is Good, and He can be trusted with your story and your soul.
Let God lovingly search out, identify, and disarm fear so that you can move forward into freedom from its bondage.
As you read this scripture, take time to sit and intentionally choose to give Jesus space in your life to search you. Invite Jesus to search you and know your heart, to look at your fears, your anxious thoughts, and offensive ways. Ask Him to show you these, and not just show you what, when or who they are, but also ask Him why they are there and why they have access and right to be there. If He shows you why they are present, then take time to actually deal with what He shows you. If it is a wound, invite Him to heal you there. If it is unforgiveness, then choose to forgive and bless the person who you are holding onto. If it is an event, a trauma, a broken trust, come to Him and invite him to meet you there and heal you there. If it is a believed and agreed with lie, make a choice to take hold of truth and reposition your trust in God and align with the truth of who He says that you are.
How you have been living and experiencing fear does not need to be the way that you need to live moving forward.
Take time to try this today.
Pray and open your heart to God.
Invite God to search you and know your heart, to test you and see if there is any offensive what in you. Pause and sit with Him and see what he brings to mind. Take note of your thoughts, feelings and what is on your heart. It is there for a reason.
Ask Jesus to meet you in that fear.
Ask Him to reveal the why of the fear, and then do the work with Him (confession, repentance, forgiveness, and breaking agreements with lies)
Ask Jesus to remove that fear.
Ask Him to come in that open door and fill you with His love.
Receive what He offers in the very place that was formerly occupied by fear.
Thank him for what He has done for you!
May you know His love and presence in a profound way. And when you are questioned as to why fear has less hold on your life moving forward, may your answer be “because Jesus loves me.”
