Dear Partners and Friends,
“I will never be afraid another day in my life!” I heard these words come out of my mouth and my mind wanted to argue. My spirit was making the declaration and my mind wanted to hold onto a license or excuse to fear. “What if this happened? Then you would have a legal right to be afraid.” No! There is nothing that can “make” me be afraid. There is no situation that forces fear as the only option. My born-again spirit is setting the boundary against fear in any form. I will never be afraid another day in my life!
We never have to fear. Fear is not a requirement. It is an option. I am choosing to remove it from my options. I want to erase fear from the multiple-choice list in my response category. The Holy Spirit wants to reveal to us the complete, absolute victory we have over fear. We are alive in Christ. There is no fear that can dominate one who is dominated by Christ. We have to know it, believe it, and walk in that truth!
Let me say this. I have been in the Word of God long enough to know that I should not permit fear to run rampant in my life. I would never openly declare, “I am afraid of…” I have learned to resist fear when situations occur or bad news arrives. If I don’t listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I could think, “I am alright! I have a handle on this. I know how to resist fear.”
The Lord is speaking to me and I am imparting to you, my partners, because there is a level of productivity for us to attain. There is a level of spiritual understanding for us to reach. It begins by becoming intolerant of fear on every level. This means we have to build our faith in what God’s Word says until our mind is renewed. We have to be responsible to recognize and confront every worry or anxious thought. We have to be diligent to identify emotions of anxiety in every moment of our life.
Do you get “unnerved” when a certain bill collector calls? Are you “concerned” about the way your adult children are living? There are many situations in life that people respond to with a low-grade level of fear and never recognize that they are permitting fear. Then, when a larger circumstance arises, fear is an automatic response. They just increase the level from low-grade fear to full-blown, unrestrained fear. If that same person wants to use their faith against their circumstance, it is more difficult because their faith is not as developed as their fear.
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. (Philippians 4:6 AMP)
The New Testament believer is instructed, “Do not fret or have anxiety about anything…” The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to operate free from every thing that would trigger anxiety, unrest or concern.
This takes diligence on our part. We must refuse thoughts of concern. We must refuse to allow unrest or worry to operate in our mind or emotions. Dominate it! Take the Word of God and govern your thoughts. Use the Word like a weapon and control your emotions.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
The word “troubled” means disquieted, to cause inward commotion, to take away calmness of mind, to make restless or strike one’s spirit with fear of dread. Our Lord Jesus Christ told us not to permit our hearts to be in that condition. Therefore, we have the ability and responsibility to enforce this. Nothing can make our hearts troubled unless we permit it! Nothing can take away our calmness of mind unless we allow it!
Even more importantly, The Lord Jesus is holding us responsible for the condition of our heart! We cannot present any list of reasons that will be acceptable to explain why we were so worried. No excuse is acceptable. “But my son was facing prison. My daughter was on meth. My husband was diagnosed with… The bills were overdue. The company was laying people off.” No matter what the situation is…fear is not the right response. Worry is never permitted. Unrest and anxiety are never acceptable ways for us to respond.
This is freeing. Don’t allow condemnation. If you have allowed your response to be one of worry or anxiety, just choose to respond differently. Make the determination and set your spirit against fear on any level. Arm yourself with verses that will strengthen you. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area where anxiety or unrest is present in your life. Practice a different response. Put this in your heart and mouth. “I will never fear another day in my life.”
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