Freedom From Fear

Fear.

Fear can drive people to do some crazy things.  Fear spread across a group of people can cause panic and irrational behavior.  Fear can cause imaginations to run wild and then lead to one jumping to conclusions.  Fear untamed leads to worry and anxiety which can lead to profound health concerns.

Ever deal with this?

I do.  In fact, fear is probably my strongest weakness.  It frustrates me at times because according to scripture:

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." (Proverbs 29:25)

"The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 118:6)

The LORD has grown me very much in this area, and I am oh so thankful!  I remember being very, very young and being afraid of someone breaking into my house or kidnapping me, etc.  I don't really remember how it began, but I remember being held captive by that fear many times.  I had parents who were taking great care of me, and thankfully I was never kidnapped or burgularized, but as I got older my fears changed and grew to bigger monsters.

I feared what someone may think of me.  I feared making mistakes.  I feared tragedy.  I feared nightmares.  I feared a lot.

Then I met Jesus and began to learn to trust Him with my fears.  This is a process that takes time and devotion.  I have had to let go of my own understanding and trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5,6).  Although He has set me free from fear, there is a daily decision needed to walk in freedom from fear and live that way instead of living in fear, anxiety, and worry.

About five or six years ago the Lord brought me to a whole new level of healing here.  I was praying with a friend, and the Lord showed me myself as a little girl who was afraid.  He showed me that because of Him I didn't have to fear any longer.  I couldn't explain it, but after that moment I felt a real sense of relief.  I had been set free in a way I had not yet experienced before. 

Shortly after that I found this verse while in a group Bible study:

"Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil-and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:14,15)

I realized then that though I knew I would be in Heaven when I died, because I had accepted the free gift of salvation when I asked Jesus to be my Savior, I had still been afraid of many things including death.  Why should the Christian fear death when He has promised us life and freedom from the fear of death?  This was another breakthrough for me.

So with all of these truths and breakthroughs, I recognize times when I am gripped by fear as spiritual warfare.  I already have the victory through my Lord, thankfully.
When I am afraid I have to ask myself a few questions.

1. Who am I trusting in?  God?  Myself?  Someone else?
2. Is there a lie I am believing?  What truth must replace that lie?
3. How much time have I spent reading and studying the Bible and in prayer lately?

I can find the reasons why I fear in the answers to these questions every single time.  When I am afraid I am inevitably not trusting in the LORD, believing some lie, and have not been spending as much time with Him lately.  Also, for me, I deal with fear more often when I stay up later at night.  For some reason, my imaginiation runs more wild at night.  Perhaps it is the stillness and the quiet.  Perhaps it is the darkness.  Perhaps it is just the fact that there is more actual darkness going on at night.

So what's a girl to do?

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you." (Psalm 56:3)

The word for trust here in Hebrew is batach.  This kind of trust is security, boldness, and confidence in the one being trusted.  This trust is the opposite of the fear I am speaking of.  When I find myself being fearful, I am not confident, bold, or feeling secure!  In fact, when I am walking in fear, I feel very insecure, very anxious, and very distracted by that fear.

"You who fear Him, trust in the LORD-He is their help and shield." (Psalm 115:11)

"I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" (Psalm 91:2)

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10)

The "fear" in Psalm 115:11 speaks of reverance.  In other words, if I revere the LORD, then I must trust Him.  The "righteous" in Proverbs 18:10 are those who have been made righteous because of Christ.  All of those who have called upon Him as their Savior have been made righteous because of His death and resurrection.  Therefore the Christian can run to the LORD and rest in Him. 

Although real moments of fear are going to come - we are human, after all - is there any reason that a Christian should ever be living in fear?  I can understand someone who has not decided to follow Jesus fearing because he does not yet have access to that strong tower.  He should be afraid!  He must first decide to follow Jesus and trust Him for salvation in order to be free from fear (free from the power of sin and death, as well!).

But Christian...why do you walk in fear?

As Christians, now more than ever, we need to know the Truth.  We need to spend the time studying His Word and spending time with Him in prayer.  I know, you may be thinking, "I don't have time," or "I don't know how," or "I don't really want to."  Doing what is necessary is not always easy and does not usually come naturally.  It takes intentionality to make this happen. 

You have to make the time.  Use your time wisely.  Make this a priority.

If you don't know how, seek help.  Tell the Lord you don't know how, and ask Him to teach you.  He will.  Just be real.  A great resource to start out with Bible study is How to Study Your Bible: The Lasting Rewards of the Inductive Method by Kay Arthur.  Also a great way to get started with prayer is going to the book of Psalms and praying some of the words there.  Many people get intimidated with prayer.  Perhaps they think it has to involve fancy words that sound very "spiritual," but it is simply a conversation.  Prayer involves speaking and listening.  Kay Arthur also has two great devotionals (for both men and women) to help you get started: one on prayer and one on Bible study.

Knowing the truth is so important because the truth sets us free! 

"To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (John 8:31,32)

Freedom from fear comes by choosing to follow Jesus and walking in the truth.

The desire to continue to study more and spend more time in prayer comes as you continue to do it.  Sometimes the desire wanes and needs refreshing, but the Bible is SO exciting!  Equally exciting is spending time praying, thanking God, listening for His direction, praying for others, and actually hearing from Him!  The Christian life is one of great excitement, peace, and contentment when we are plugged into the source and spending time hanging out in His strong tower. 

For me, when I am diligent in this, fear is forgotten.  By His grace, I can live confidently, bold, secure because I trust Him to take care of every little detail.  He is in control, and I can rest in knowing that He is God, and I am not.

I also must be careful to protect my mind, knowing that this is a weakness at times for me.  This is one reason I am very careful with what movies or shows I watch, what books I read, and what conversations I engage in with others.  You have to know yourself enough to know what your limits are.  Don't be embarrassed to decline a certain movie that others want to watch because you know it would cause you to struggle with fear later.  Be honest with others and with yourself.  Ask the LORD to help you.

Be encouraged today.  Fear not.  Instead trust in Him.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

Freedom From Regret

Regret.  I wish I had no regrets, but the truth is that I sure do.  I always wonder when I hear someone say, "I have no regrets."  What do they mean by that?  With further questioning, I sometimes find that what they mean is, "I have learned from my mistakes, therefore I do not regret my mistakes."  Other times I find that what the person means is, "I have convinced myself that I have done nothing wrong in the past, and that even if I did it's in the past anyway."

Could either of these two views of regret be correct?

Here I go with the dictionary again:

Regret: 1. To feel sorry, disappointed, or distressed about. 2. To remember with a feeling of loss or sorrow; mourn.

Yes, the past is the past.  Yes, I have learned from my mistakes.  But yes, I do have regrets.  There are many times that I remember an event, relationship, words I said, words I didn't say, etc with a feeling of loss and disappointment.  I regret those times.  Though I am thankful for those lessons learned I sure wish I could have learned them another way.  Thankfully those lessons have many times prevented me from going down the same dangerous path again that would lead to further regret.

So what is the deal with regret, then?  Why are so many people afraid to admit they have it or even afraid to deal with it in order to move forward?

That is just it.  We cannot move forward, fully, until we have dealt with those regrets.  Sometimes the dealing-with-process comes with the need to appologize and ask for forgiveness - with both God and man.  This is not always easy, but it is the only way to freedom from regret.  This is what separates a regret that turns into a lesson eventually bringing good and a regret that continues to fester, churn, and hold captive the one who lives in it.  This festering usually leads to others getting hurt, as well, by my problem.  Everything we do affects someone else, other than ourselves, either positively or negatively.

Recognizing a regret for what it is - disappointment (in myself and/or others and/or circumstances) - is different than dwelling on that regret.

To Dwell: 1. To live as a resident; reside.  2. To be in a given place or condition.

So the question is am I dwelling in a regret?  Am I living there?  Or do I simply recognize it as a disappointment or sorrow?  Have I let it go and moved on?  Am I willing to?  Or am I simply either ignoring the issue or being held captive by it?

These are questions I have had to ask myself many times.  There is a process I have realized is necessary for gaining freedom from regret.  I guess it really comes down to being real about my past, taking it to the Lord, and asking Him to make me whole again each time.  As I was thinking more about this, I identified these steps:

1. Realize my need for Him: I have to realize that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  This includes me - thankfully I am also "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24).

2. Seek Him: I should then ask the Lord, "Search me, O God, and know my heart.  Test me, and know my anxious thoughts" (Psalm 139:23).  What is going on in my heart?  What can I do about it?  The Lord can show me because He knows me even better than I know myself.

3. Seek forgiveness: I have to ask if there is forgiveness needed from me and/or for me.  "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us..." (Luke 11:4).  This must be sincere, but it's not about a feeling.  Forgiveness is a choice.  The feeling can come later...

4. My responsibility: I am then to do my part.  "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18).  I can only do my part.  I cannot make the other person forgive me, and our relationship may or may not be restored.

5. Move forward: "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13,14).  Stop dwelling in regret.  It just doesn't do anyone any good.

6. Rest in His peace: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful" (Colossians 3:15).

7. Enjoy freedom: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). 

This peace is true tranquillity that comes with the assurance that God is in control and that He "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”" (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Now, go have a day without regrets, knowing that He walks beside those who call on His name.  Oh yeah, and be sure to call on His name.

Thanks be to the Lord, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.  Amen.

Freedom From Debt

Over the past almost four years, my husband and I have made a committment to not use credit cards.  Before this decision was made, we had racked up $20,000 in consumer debt.  I used to not think it was a big deal.  For me, I got what I wanted, and I figured that we would just pay it off eventually.  Over time, however, I began to become discontent with the looming debt.  My husband hated it, and he felt like he couldn't provide for us to pay it off.  This created stress. 

We are taught in our society that debt is necessary.  How can one survive without it?  Just think about how many credit card offers you receive in the mail or how many times you are asked if you have a certain store's card when checking out there.  It's everywhere!  We want, so we get.  We borrow, so we owe, and then we regret, and sometimes we even lose it to the bank.  Why the crazy cycle?  Perhaps we don't know or perhaps we have just failed to recognize the truth about debt.

"The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave" (Proverbs 22:7).

After realizing that we did not want to be slaves to our lenders anymore, we wanted to find a way out.  We realized that by using our credit cards, we were not fully trusting the Lord to provide for everything we need.  We were trusting in chariots - our own strength and might - our credit cards.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7).

How freeing it has been to be able to pay off debt and not accrue anymore!  We have seen the LORD provide for us in ways we had missed out on before because now we had to trust Him.  As a result we have so many precious examples of ways He has shown us His love for us through His provision for us.  It's been a fun and adventurous journey, and we are very thankful that we have paid off all but $1400 to date.  In fact, by the end of April, we plan to be completely out of consumer debt!  Praise God!

I was thinking about all of this lately when I was at church a few Sundays ago.  We were singing, "Jesus paid it all.  All to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain.  He washed it white as snow."  I have known for years that Jesus paid the debt of my sin, and I have rejoiced in this time and time again.  This day, however, it was all new to me again.  Being so close to being free from consumer debt, and after working so hard at it, made me realize just how enslaving debt is.  How much more the debt of my sin?  How much more did I need Jesus to free me from this once and for all.  I am so thankful that I asked Him to do this over fourteen years ago. 

"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:22,23).

It is clear to me more now than ever that I would rather be a slave to God than a slave to a lender or to money itself.  God is a kind, gracious, loving, patient, and just master who provides, protects, heals, comforts, guides, disciplines, changes me for the better, and so so much more.

"No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24).

Yes, this is counter-culture.  This is unfortunately sometimes even counter-Christian-culture.  There is hope, though.  It's never too late to turn over a new leaf and cut up those credit cards.  I recommend a plan.  Crowne Financial and Dave Ramsey are great resources with Bible studies, lessons, and plans of action to help those who desire to be free from consumer debt.  And remember to pray and ask the Lord for help.

"Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.  Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:8, 10).

May this be the debt we now accrue, and for the glory of God and the furthering of His kingdom.

"Oh praise the One who paid my debt, and raised this life up from the grave ... Jesus."