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The secret of living an abundant life is to have no fear. In life, we can learn to control one thing, particularly when everything else is out of our control. And that one thing is our own mind. Because we can control our thoughts and our actions, fear, therefore, must arise from our minds. Fear does not actually exist, unless you think it does. It’s imaginary.  Roaring Lion I can take a moment and imagine a lion outside my window. The fear of the lion might overwhelm me. Fear might make me stop in my tracks. In contrast, the absence of fear at that moment of seeing a roaring lion would allow me to think clearly, and, most importantly, act accordingly. In 1 Peter 5:8 we read about being mindful.
2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to not be afraid. God tells us to have no fear. To dispel imaginations and take hold of your thoughts.
 Fear is a Snare Proverbs 3:25-26 says to not be afraid of sudden fear when it comes to you. But to stand firm. And your believing will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.
Examples God’s Word gives us examples of those who stood bravely when faced with sudden fear, and they were not trapped because they renewed their minds, and trusted in God, and experienced the unconditional, everywhere-present, powerful love of God. Throughout God’s Word we read of God’s people being faced with “sudden fear” and emerging victorious because of their love for God. There is no fear in love. When we’re surrounded in unconditional love, we have no reason to doubt, worry, or fear. And “whoso putteth his trust in God shall be safe.” Let’s learn about a few examples of believers who loved God and put their trust in God when faced with fear:
The young man David had great love for God and was not afraid of the giant Goliath. In I Samuel 17, we're told the story of Israel’s mighty army that was at war with the Philistines. And the entire army was being intimidated by one of their soldiers named Goliath. This giant taunted Israel’s army every morning and every evening for forty days. No Israelite soldier would accept Goliath’s challenge to fight him because they were all afraid (I Samuel 17:24).  Jesse, a father of eight sons, directed his youngest son, David, to go to the Israelite’s camp to bring food for his three brothers who were soldiers. While there, David heard Goliath harassing the army. So this young boy, David, asked the soldiers, who were all fearful, a couple questions (1 Samuel 17:26). He wanted to know why they were afraid of Goliath even though God was with them. Because of his great love for the living God, David himself bravely faced Goliath without fear and killed Goliath. When the Philistine army saw their champion was dead, they fled. Israel was victorious, because of David’s love for God and his brothers. There is no fear in love.  Jesus and His Friends One day, the followers of Jesus were sitting around, and they were very hungry. And Jesus fed everyone with five loaves and two fish. Then, Jesus said to his friends to go across the lake in boat and rest. Jesus went up the mountain to rest for a bit. A windy storm comes. His friends need help, because the waves are crashing their boat (Mark 6:49-51). They see Jesus walking on the water to them, and Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid.” The waters calmed down and they were safe. They were exhausted and relieved. Jesus provided his friends unconditional love. His friends were told to not be afraid. At that moment, Jesus was like the manifestation of peace and calm in the middle of a fearful storm. But love casts out fear. There’s no fear in love. There’s no need to fear when you’re surrounded by unconditional love. The Root of All Fear Scripture says that whoever listens to and learns from wisdom will live securely and in confident trust. And she will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.
There is no fear in love.
Perfect love (unconditional love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation) drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is simply not yet mature enough to fully understand the love of God in the renewed mind. The root of all fear is the absence of love. Renewing Our Mind How do we cast out fear from our minds? By renewing it. We renew it by filling it up with love. Because God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). From Romans 12:2, we learn that we can renew your minds.
As we mature spiritually:
Matthew 28:1-10 In Matthew 28:1-10, there is a story of a great woman named Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene witnessed Jesus’s crucifixion, and she was the first person to testify to the resurrection of Jesus, and she was the first person to meet and talk with Jesus after he rose. In this story, the angel tells Mary to not be afraid of this miracle that she has just witnessed. And Jesus also tells Mary to not be afraid. Mary Magdalene was with Jesus from the beginning; she was healed by Jesus; she followed Jesus; she cared for, listened to, and attended Jesus. She love him; and he love her back. And because of that love, there was no need, no place, no reason for fear to exist.  Can You Imagine Living Without Fear? Can you imagine what you could do, if you had no fear in doing it? How can we do that? How can we get to that point where we have no fear? The key to having no fear in life rests upon understanding the presence of God.
Scripture says that God is Spirit (John 4:24), God is love (1 John 4:16), and God is everywhere present. God (love) is wherever you go.
 Paul
In Acts 9, there's a story of Paul (Saul). He was hunting down and persecuting Jesus’s followers. One day, while walking on a road to Damascus, in search of some disciples, he was struck and surrounded by a light from heaven (Acts 9:4-6). At that moment, Paul was really afraid. Fearful. He was trembling. But he recognized that something amazing was happening, and he immediately renewed his mind, and asked what was it he could do. He changed his mind, and acted accordingly. Later in his life, Paul, would reveal the greatest truth anyone could ever know. Paul revealed the great mystery, which is that the powerful, unconditional love of God is everywhere present available to everyone at anytime. Conclusion Since there is no fear in love, and God is love, then there cannot be any fear in God. Like the examples we just read about, when we bring our minds to God’s Word and keep love as our prime motivating factor, we can trust in God and live a more than abundant life. Further Reading You may be interested in reading Eliminating Fear--Thought By Thought and Mindfulness Enables Men to Be Powerful. |
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