Anxious? Fear Not!

Fear not? Are you crazy? Just read the headlines and your stomach starts to churn. War, famine, and abuse lurk without, and within we struggle with husbands, kids, bills and more. There is much to fear. God agrees. In John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulation..." and we do. Yet as children of the Living God, we are not to practice fear but to fight it with these three tools: recognizing the lie, renewing our minds, and rehearsing the truth.

Recognize the Lie - We worry because we forget about God. Worse than that, we worry when we begin to think that we are god, that somehow it all depends on us. And if it all depends on us, we had better stay awake all night, stressing, plotting, planning, and trying to work it out. It is clear we are drowning, but instead of calling the life guard, we just dog-paddle faster. But it won't work. If we don't know how to swim, we can't save ourselves. When the lie loudly blusters, "If it's going to be, it's up to me," fear follows.

Renew Our Minds - Relief comes when we let go of the false hope that we can fix it ourselves. God confidently proclaims, "Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you, with my victorious right hand" Isaiah 41:10. This truth is the life preserver we hold onto when the waters get rough.

Rehearse the Truth - Anxiety can be insidious, paralyzing, and overwhelming. God's promises are specific, empowering, and life-giving. His storehouse of resources is vast and offers reassurance for every need. Each time a fear arises, practice replacing it with God's truth. There is plenty to go around.

The very first command to "fear not" is found in the book of Genesis and God continues reassuring us until He states His final "fear not" in Revelation. From beginning to end, He has us covered. Wow. God knows that life is hard yet exhorts us to trust Him. Remember who your God is, cling to Him, and sail through the storm of life.