FEAR or FEAR NOT
As follow up to S2/E13, fear is a primary emotion. The secondary emotions surfaced from fear are feeling anxious, insecure, inferior, panic.
Fear often comes from possibly losing something: love, identity, meaning, purpose (or the chance to express oneself), or life.
"Do not fear" and similar phrases are mentioned OFTEN in the Bible (365 times or more, depending on how you search for similar words/thought). It is a primary theme.
God's command/invitation for us to "Not Fear" is to be taken in view of the reality of who God is and who we are as his children.
God spoke "Do Not Fear" to the leaders He called into mission with and for Him.
We are well served when we stop looking at things from our perspective, but from God's perspective. Are the things we may be afraid to lose really ours to lose? These are all gifts from God and in God's Kingdom we cannot lose His love for us, our identity in Christ, meaning or life.
God gets that we have a tendency to be afraid, so he is reminding us regularly about the spiritual reality and keep our focus on God/Jesus and who He is, not the "surrounding waves" around us and what we feel that we lack. We should not be controlled by our fears, but to give them to God, or Heavenly Father. After we give our fears to God, we need to leave those fears with Him - and not pick them back up to try handle or deal or dwell on with them with ourselves.
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV
FEAR or FEAR NOT
As follow up to S2/E13, fear is a primary emotion. The secondary emotions surfaced from fear are feeling anxious, insecure, inferior, panic.
Fear often comes from possibly losing something: love, identity, meaning, purpose (or the chance to express oneself), or life.
We discuss some of our fears and loss, how this intersects us personally. ."Do not fear" is mentioned often in the Bible (365 times or more, depending on how you search for similar words/thought). A small sampling of passages we considered are below.
God's command/invitation for us to "Not Fear" is to be taken n view and the reality of who God is and who we are as his children.
- 1 Peter 5:7 God's CARE for us
- Matthew 28:18-20 The POWER and PRESENCE of God
- John 14:27 The PEACE of God
- John 17:9 - 18 The PROTECTION of God
- Matthew 6:11 The PROVISION of God
- Revelation 5:9-14 The SOVEREIGNTY of God
God spoke "Do Not Fear" to the leaders He called into mission with and for him. Just one example is Joshua. God reminds us that he is faithful and does not fail us.
We are well served when we stop looking at things from our perspective, but from God's perspective. Are the things we may be afraid to lose really ours to lose? These are all gifts from God and in God's Kingdom we cannot lose His love for us, our identity in Christ, meaning or life.
God gets that we have a tendency to be afraid, so he is reminding us regularly about the spiritual reality and keep our focus on God/Jesus and who He is, not the "surrounding waves" around us and what we feel that we lack. Like the sharp stone obsidian, if we hold on to things other than God tightly, it "hurts". We should not be controlled by our fears, but to give them to God, or Heavenly Father.
Like the disciples in Mark 4, after Jesus calmed the storm, it is good for us to Fear God, to realize who He is. After we give our fears to God, we need to leave those fears with Him - and not pick them back up to try handle or deal or dwell on with them with ourselves.
Consider reading a verse on Do Not Fear every day for the next year!
BE IN GOD'S WORD, meditating on it, memorizing it, for "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Not being in Scripture regularly gives room for us to fear,. Being with the Lord, being in His presence - perfect love - drives out fear. (1 John 4:13-21)
QUIET TIMES
- Romans 8:33-34 - Our identity is in Christ ... Do Not Fear
- Psalms 41 - The Lord delivers the weak ... Fear Not
- 1 Peter 5:7 - God CARES for YOU ... give him all your anxiety
- Deutoronomy 8:3 - God feeds you (gives life), both by manna/bread and His Word ... Do Not Fear
The purpose of our podcast is to help each other be better leaders, husbands and fathers for God's glory. Our discussions are based on elements from the Men's Ministry at Hillcrest Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI. For more information about us, check our website and hillcrestcrc.org