HOW GOD DEALS WITH HIS CHILDREN'S FEARS

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10. 

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Fear is common to humanity. It is more common for men to fear than to have faith. We hear God telling His people approximately 365 times throughout scripture "Do Not Fear".  Each time He gives the same reason, "For I Am with You." Even so men have feared since the fall of mankind and continue to fear. People have all kinds of fears. Fear of public speaking, fear of the death, fear of sickness, fear of flying and the list goes on. 

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God does not want His children to fear. Fear develops when 1. We feel powerless to control or change  the outcomes of life's situations. 2. We know that God has all power, but don't trust God's love for us.  

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There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.1 John 4:8. 

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We love God but we don't love Him perfectly. Its God who loves us perfectly. Prior to encountering Gods love, we have never been loved perfectly . Many have never made a mistake or messed up and been completely forgive for it once repenting.  Perfect love is never seeking to punish you. It is always seeking repentance (a change of direction) redemption, restoration and transformation. For this reason the bible says  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" Rom.8:28.

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When fear cripples our lives and keeps us stuck in any area at all, there will come a time, when God will compel you to face your fears. He wants you to see that you can trust Him to be with you and there is nothing that can overpower Him. Facing fear is very difficult, but with Gods grace what is hard or even impossible for you becomes possible, because God is with you. 

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Years ago I had a colonoscopy with shocking results. While in my late 40's ,  I had 41 polyps and the doctor removed them all during the colonoscopy. After testing them, they were all benign. It was a terrible and frightening experience because no ne on my mothers side of the family had ever had colon polyps or cancer. My doctor explained that left alone, one or two could have developed into cancer over the next 10 years. The news traumatized me and i never wanted to go through that again. That lead to me vowing to never get another colonoscopy, although my doctor recommended another one in 1 year. I thought about it from time and time and worried about it, but the fear, shock and confusion left me stuck. As a result, I would not get another one for 20 years. No matter how much i prayed, the fear remained. 

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Oneday. i was speaking with an Aunt on my fathers side of the family who was the same age as me. We had not spoken in 40 years. She told me that she was a 10 year colon cancer survivor and had developed colon cancer in her early 50's.  I was immediately terrified. It all clicked. Those polyps i had in my 40's had come from my fathers side of the famiiy. Since i lived estranged from them due to conflict between my mothers side of the family and my fathers side, I had no idea of my natural father's family history. 

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Finally I accepted the referral from my doctor, but still was'nt sure that i would follow through with it. I put off calling to schedule it. One day right after i had come out of prayer, my cell phone rang and the Gastroenterologist's office was on the phone wanting to schedule my colonoscopy. I was caught off guard. I made an appt. received the directions and was in fear and trembling everyday leading up to it. The day before, I could not shake me fear, It was crippling , even overpowering. I was knelt down on the floor crying out to God for his courage. Expecting to hear comforting words from the Lord, instead i heard in an authorative voice the Lord say " Stand on your feet". I was stunned and i immediately stood up. Once standing, He said to me, "Be courageous, i am with you. As soon as he spoke those words,  the Gastroenterologist called to answer any questions i had. He listened patiently while i explained my hesitation and he assured me that he understood and would treat me with the best care. I did not trust doctors, due to the many wars that i had fought on behalf of my family and others with wrong diagnosis's, and a bunch of others things. But in that moment i knew that i could trust God. 

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That night i slept well. The following morning my husband and I headed to the hospital for my 6am appt. A miracle had happened. I had so much peace that the Holy Spirit had given to me, that I felt transformed. Within a couple of hours we were back home and I spent the day in awe of Gods grace, love and peace. that 

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We will fear from time to time and sometimes we spend more time in fear than in faith over lifes worries. God will always insist that we face our fears, because he will always insist that we trust Him.  Remember Heb. 11:6? "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him".

I will be the first to admit that facing fear is not easy, but it is possible with God. Afterward you feel more alive and more loved than when you sat in the fear. God will help us face our fears, we cannot do it alone. However, when the circumstances come that seem to be forcing you to face your fears, know that it is God wanting to free you from your fear.  It can feel like God doesnt care that your afraid, but if he didn't care he would not have told us so many times "Do Not Be Afraid, I am with you". 

Prophets feared, Kings feared, the disciples feared. There is not need to be ashamed or to feel less spiritual because you have fear. One one hand, it proves that you are aware that you are not in control of your life and on the other hand, it draws you into a greater dependency on God and draws you to Him. 

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The only fear that pleases God is our fear of God Himself. God never wants us to allow fear to make us stuck, to take away our peace, or rest or sleep, or appetite, or pleasures that he gives to us. God wants you free and he is able to set us free from fear. 

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Gods power to free you from fear is divine. Its awe inspiring to see God replace fear with a quiet rest and peace. If not today, at least begin to tell God you want to overcome your fear and have faith in God. Let Him make you willing to trust Him with your fears. Steps of faith reguardless of how small each step is pleasing to God. because your moving in the right direction wih every step of faith. 

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Donna Mosley 

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