Confident Living in Anxious Times

 "Fear paralyzes the mind, making us unable to think clearly.

Fear of great magnitude disorganizes the mind so that confusion reigns.

Fear also has a way of multiplying itself.

We are so disabled of being afraid that we become afraid of our fears.

We cannot face problems when we are afraid of them"

                                                                                                  -Maurice Wagner-

                                                                                                                  The Sensation of Being Somebody

     Being a natural "worrywart", fear and anxiety has always been a part of my life. From the simplest "what will I wear?... to the more gruesome "Will there be world war 3?"... name it! prinoblema ko na lahat yan!... I guess it has something to do with the way I was trained to think while I was growing up. I'm trying to fight it, though, I must admit... It is a struggle!... Old habits die hard as they say... 

Luckily, being the the investigative worrywart that I am... I came across these facts... All yah fellow nervous Nellies out there... READ ON!

• Psychologist tells us that the majority of the fears we feel never actually come true.

• Fear is always subject to God's truth.

• Christ never abandons us regardless of the situation. Emergencies and sudden traumas are the very times when God wants us to sense his presence the strongest.

• Like any part of the Christian life, emotions must be kept in balance and be placed in subjection to Christ. If not, they will dominate our lives!

•  Don't blame yourself! It is the natural consequences of the circumstances surrounding you that bread instability and fear.

•  All Satan needs to harass us is an opportunity. Prayer and the word of God are the most effective weapons we have against fear. When we acknowledge a sense of fearfulness to the Lord and ask for his protection and guidance. We position ourselves in faith.

• FEAR IS A CHOICE!!!

• If a person insists on believing some fearful thought that is not true, his life will be riddled in fear.

• Christ has given us freedom. There is no need to live in sin or fear.

• It takes faith to master a fear problem.

• Faith accepts the fact that the problem is too much for us and also the fact that we are not alone in our problem; we have God with us.

• Whatever is holding us captive must release it's grip when you command it to. Do so in the name of Jesus Christ.

•  Fear or any emotional bondage cannot rule your life. The only power it has in your life is the power you give it. IT IS A MATTER OF CHOICE!

• We are not destined to be sinful nor are we born to a life of fearfulness.

• Only God is sovereign. He is our only source of security.

• Doubt is a key contributor to fear.

• Instead of turning to God in prayer, our minds drift from one imagined problem to another.

• We try to fix everything on our own, without God's grace, and end up spiritually and emotionally exhausted.

• Satan loves to get us running emotionally. He goes to great lengths to get us to imagine all kinds of things.

• A single though can multiple and grow a thousand times over when it is watered by the enemy's lies. His chief objective is to cause us to stop trusting God. Once we do, he steals our sense of peace and hope. You begin to doubt the promises of God and before you know it, Fear has erected a power base in your life. 

The Consequences of Fear

1. Fear stifles our capacity to think and act properly.
2. Fear causes indecision.
3. Fear diminishes our capacity of achieve. People who are fearful often give up quickly.
4. Fear causes torment. We become so engrossed by fear, blind to the change it has brought to our lives. We worry about even the smallest things, questioning ourselves if we have done the right thing.
5. Fear damages our relationship with others. If we've been hurt by someone before, our fear of getting hurt again causes us to withdraw.
6. Fear damages our relationship with God.
7. Fear interferes with our enjoyment of life. Through the eyes of fear, there is only darkness and impending doom.

Understanding the cycle of fear, coping with the causes of anxiety when and before they arise can prevent the development of fear.

How to Handle Fear

1. Acknowledge that you have a problem with fear or that something has caused you to feel fearful.
2. Identify the fear.
3. Stop giving fear a place in your life. They belong to the enemy. As a child of God, place them in submission to Jesus Christ immediately.
4. Take each thought and feeling and ask God to provide a verse or scripture that you can claim as a promise against the fear or feeling. It is God's will that you be set free from every fear.
5. Learn to focus on the truth. This is the critical step in changing our fears to towers of faith. Train yourself to STOP focusing on the negative and begin focusing on the POSITIVE.
6. Admit your fears to God and seek his wisdom concerning the issue.
7. Ask God to help you and trust him to a greater degree.

Breaking through fear takes time but God promises to be with you along the way, encouraging you and protecting you as you go.

Thank you: 

Charles F. Stanley