NO FEAR LIVING

We are hours into a change in our political leadership, and yet, with the excitement of anticipation of our new leadership leading us hopefully to a prosperous tomorrow, there is the reality of struggle. Will all the changes that have taken place in our government expel our fears?

Just a month ago, we celebrated the excitement of the birth of Jesus Christ. What were the first words the angels told the Shepherds? “Don’t be afraid!” What were the first words Jesus said after He rose from the dead? “Don’t be afraid!” What were the first words the disciples heard when Jesus caught up to them on the raging Sea of Galilee? “Don’t be afraid!” Two thousand years later, in an uncertain economy, He still says, “Don’t be afraid!” America is experiencing a wave of fear. Fear is flowing not just from our TV news reports but from our real life experiences.

If our hearts were being played on a big screen TV, what fears would be playing? What would be on the screen? Some are afraid they’re going to lose their job; some fear losing their dream home; and even some are fearing the repercussions these things will have on their families and on their marriage. Fear is called many different names like worry, tension, anxiety, uptight, pressure and stress. Here is something else about fear -- it’s contagious. We can get it from other people. It’s limiting and it’s draining.

One of the most important things I know is that God doesn’t want us to be afraid. Ephesians 3:12 says, “In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear…We can do this through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Anchoring truths for NO FEAR LIVING... they are simple and brief:

1) Accept God’s love for you... Let God’s love for you serve as the antidote to your fear.

2) Believe that Christ died and rose from the dead for you... It is one thing to believe about a person; it is another to believe in that person. It’s not just that Jesus died and rose from the dead, but that he died and rose from the dead for you.

3) Commit your fears and your life to Christ... It means let Him be the manager and boss of your life. Let God be the God of your life.

4) Let His love fill your life. There is no fear in His love.