The Second Wave of Fear - Part 2

The voice of fear & the presence of God

Have you ever found yourself asking where all of your fearful thoughts come from? They seem to come out of no where and build in waves, if given the chance, that in time can leave you feeling like you are drowning or barely keeping your head above water.

What is the source of fear and anxiety and what does God offers to us in these days?

It is good to remember that fear does not come from God. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid (or fearful), but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV) God has given us power, love and self-discipline. Fear does not find its source or origin in Him, so it is not God who gives us fear. Fear thrives in the absence of the awareness of the presence of God. When we are focused on fear and all that comes along with it, we become increasingly aware of what could happen if fear were to have its way if left to its own devices.

This is disempowering and can leave us feeling like there is nothing that can make the situation improve or change for the better. Fear’s primary motivation is to make your mind be so unfocused and undisciplined that you feel that you are out of control and that you can’t even think properly about the situation that you are in. Outcomes through this lens are almost always negative, hopeless and digressive. If you are feeling this way it is important to selah, to intentionally pause in God’s presence, and ask Him what He thinks about your situation. Let Him inform you of your situation and tell you what He is able to do with it. He is not nervous. He is never scared.

Fear does not affect Jesus, but He always affects fear.

Fear and love do not belong together. You can focus on love or you can focus on fear, but you can’t fully enter into either at the same time. They are on opposite sides of the spectrum. One operates in the darkness and one is light. When we focus on the light of God’s love and presence, the fears increasingly lose their hold as we enter into and move towards the light of God’s love and presence. When you are focused on the light of His presence, you will realize that there is no place for fear’s darkness and lies to continue to ensnare and bind you. You also discover only that which proceeds from God; namely His purity, hope, peace, life, joy, freedom and perfect love, to mention a few. These gifts come to you from Him, there is no darkness or fear in or from Him for you.

If you are finding yourself focused on the presence of fear and stuck in anxious places you are likely finding it hard to live well in days like these. The way that things are currently are not the way that they need to be moving forward.

So, how do we live well in moments like these?

We need to stop identifying fearful thoughts as our fears or our fearful thoughts. They don’t come from God, but they do come from somewhere. You have an enemy of your soul who is bent on destroying you one way or the other. Fear is one of his many tactics to take you out, and he will use fear in any way with any effect he can. The enemy doesn’t play fair and he doesn’t have to. That is why the Bible uses battle language when it speaks of the enemy. The enemy isn’t a bad friend or companion to be tolerated, he is is an adversary needing to be be dealt with and defeated. In Christ you can do this. It starts with being self aware and identifying our thoughts, God’s thoughts and those of the enemy.

Our thoughts are often selfish in nature and need to be redeemed and sanctified to line up with God’s thoughts.

The enemy’s thoughts are selfish, hedonistic, dark, distracting and confusing at times and do not line up with or lead us into the heart of God for us. They are often accusatory and condemning and though they may offer hope or life it is always at a cost.

God’s thoughts are pure and loving, kind and whole, they speak well of you, others and God. They line up with scripture, His character and love. They will promote life, hope and strength at the cost of His Son Jesus, not a cost to you. They will draw you to Him as you realize how Good He is and how incredibly much He loves you.

When we have fearful thoughts or thoughts that come from dark places it is important to remember how God equips us to address these thoughts through His Word.

The Ephesians church was encouraged to put on the full armour of God and to stand firm in the face of the presence of spiritual attack (Ephesians 6:10-18).

James encourages the church to stand firm on the truth of God and our identify in Him and then resist the enemy. The promise is that as we do stand firm that eventually He will flee (James 4:7).

The apostle Paul tells the church in Corinth that they need to deal harshly with the thoughts that they are dealing with.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 )

Every thought that does not line up with the heart of God, with the peace that He offers and with His character and the qualities that He intends for the believer to walk in, those thoughts need to be brought into obedience to Jesus. We need to identify them for what they are: lies from the enemy of our souls, and we stop them in their tracks by not giving them any more space than they deserve in our lives, which is none, and then, make them obedient to Jesus. Don’t keep them captive, identify and take hold of them and then give them to Jesus.

The only thoughts that we become full of are the thoughts that we agree with. If we are full of fear, or fearful, then we have given space to fear through our agreement with it. What are we watching, reading, listening to? What are we agreeing is okay to take in hoping it will entertain us? The problem with this mindset is that the more we entertain these thoughts and give them space in our souls the more they get access and ability to take root and build a case to stay.

All too often, we have chosen to give fear space in our souls to take up residence and to inform our situation. We need to give fear less access to our soul and intentionally choose to give Jesus more. He will come and serve an eviction notice to fear and as He does He will give you courage and strength to fight fear and wisdom on how to move forward with and in Him. Invite His presence, confess to Him your fears, and give Him access to your fears to deal with them by His wisdom and strength.

His presence changes everything.

*Excerpts taken from my note published on March 18, 2020, posted to facebook called “Thoughts on this current season and time...Reflections on Fear, Anxiety, COVID-19, the Kingdom and the King.” To read the full note you can find it on my public Facebook page on that date.