Do you ever deal with worry, stress, anxiety or fear?

We do and we  are going to guess that you do too.

We were praying about what to write today and felt that this is the message that the Lord wanted us to share. Let the power of fear be destroyed in your life. We serve a risen Savior who is willing and able to handle anything that is facing our lives today.

Scripture has a lot to say on the subject of fear and worry.  There are literally hundreds of verses that deal with this subject from both the Old and New Testaments.  There are many different situations and types of worry that the Bible deals with but a high level summary would be don’t fear and don’t worry but have faith in God.

We know that sounds very simplistic and may seem trite in light of the circumstances or situation that you may find yourself in but please keep reading and we will endeavor to expand upon the subject.

Every time we have had the pleasure of hearing R.W. Schambach deliver the Word of the Lord he has said at some point in his sermon, “You don’t have any problems. All you need is faith in God.”  Every time he says it we all think of the words of Jesus. Jesus said:

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 9:23)

There is nothing that we are facing at this moment that is outside of the power of God to solve.  There is nothing that we are facing at this moment that His grace is not sufficient for. There is nothing that we are facing at this moment that will separate us from the love of God. There is nothing that we are facing at this moment that will cause God to violate that Word He has spoken:

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Worry, anxiety, stress, fear and many other synonyms can really make in roads into our lives and if we do not rely on Christ. Worry and fear have the power to take control of our lives.  The Bible’s answer to fear is not to ignore the circumstances we are facing, nor does it teach us to deny that we are stressed out, worried or afraid.  The Bible’s answer to fear is for us to surrender our situation to the Lord and to place our trust in Him.

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?  What will we drink?  What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but our Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Do we trust the Lord? Of Course We all trust the Lord!

Do we believe that He will help us? Yes, We know He will help us!

Is our situation beyond His ability? Nothing is beyond God’s ability!

Are our circumstances something that He does not care about? Of Course God Cares, He always has, and He always Will!

The worry or fear we experience may be fleeting or it may be petitioning us for permanent residence, but we don’t have to give in to it’s request for permanent residence.  It may be based on circumstances beyond our ability to control or it may be based on mistakes and failures that we have made in our lives. It may stem from a business situation or a school situation. It may come from a relationship and at times it may even come from ministry. Your fear may come from one source or it may come from many sources but your answer will remain the same:

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you. (Psalm 37:5)

If we are worried or afraid about a part of our lives or a situation that we are facing can we honestly say that we have committed that area of our life or that situation unto the Lord?  If the answer is yes, then remind yourself that:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

If the answer is no, then it is time for you and I to surrender that part of our lives to the Lord. He already knows all about it but we must humble ourselves and surrender every area of our life to His Lordship.

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:3)

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. (Matthew 5:5)

God wants to know what is too much for us. God wants to know about the situations that worry us and the circumstances that overwhelm us.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the Godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22)

You and I will carry burdens, fears and worries that come to us from the things that we face in this life. Jesus already knows there are things that are beyond our ability to handle. He already knows that we are prone to fear. He already knows that we are fearful of failure and worried about worst case scenarios coming to pass. Jesus knew that we were flawed and fallen and that is why He came to redeem us. Our faith in Him gives us access to His grace and His grace is sufficient for all of our needs.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Fear is much like faith in reverse. Fear and worry anticipate and expect things to go wrong and failure to take place. Faith in God surrenders and places our dependency upon Jesus Christ and His ability. When we are facing things that cause us to worry and fear we know that we have a God who loves us and has promised to help us when we ask and to be with us at all times.

Having faith does not mean that problems go away or that the reasons for our worry or fear are eliminated. Having faith means that we can declare the situation or circumstances that we are facing to be less powerful that the God we serve.  Fear and worry will consistently plague our lives until we come to the realization that God is bigger than our problems and more powerful than our enemies.

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 9:23)

Faith is not mind over matter. Overcoming fear and worry does not take place by replacing bad thoughts with good thoughts. We overcome fear and worry when we realize what our situation looks like to the One who lives inside of us.

“The Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4)

He does not let us go. He does not stop loving us. He is not concerned by the size or strength of our problems. There is nothing facing our lives today that has taken God by surprise or has caused Him to worry about how He can handle the situation. Our God is able.

So, if you are facing something or someone that is causing you to worry or be afraid remember that you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ and He has already overcome the world. Hold onto your worry and fear and struggle in your own strength or surrender your worry and fear and then you will overcome in His strength.

Next time you are worried of afraid, consider this, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:1-6)”