Conquering Fear
The number one thing that holds many people back from following after God is fear. Fear is an emotion that can keep us locked up inside our own mental prison. One reason many people avoid confronting their fear is that it is not a pleasant thing to do and it is uncomfortable. However, it is well worth the temporary discomfort of facing our fears and being made free. Here’s where to begin:
1. Find the Root Cause
In order to conquer your fear, you must find its cause. Begin by writing down all your fears. Then, circle the fears that are most palpable. Once you have identified your main fears, go to the Lord in prayer and tell him what you are afraid of. (He already knows, anyway.) Going to God in prayer is a simple act of obedience. For some strange reason, often going to God in prayer is our last resort rather than our first. The Bible says in Isaiah 47:10, ” Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Most of our fear is simply a thought in our mind – a figment of our own imagination. The Bible tells us what we are to do every single day with such imaginations in 2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV which says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” Here at Christianlifecoachtools.com this is our passion: teaching you how to bring your thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ. For a free greet and meet, click on the BOOK NOW button on the top right corner of our home page. By facing our fears, we often find it wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. Once you have an idea of what is causing your fear, you can then pray to God and ask Him for specific ways to combat it.
2. Practice Biblical Meditation
Fear tends to generate a lot of anxiety. Practicing Biblical meditation helps bring a sense of calm into our mind, body, and spirit. No wonder God tells us to meditate on His Word! He knows what is best for us. Alleviating anxiety levels will give fear less control over you. When you are in a calmer, more spiritual, and still state, you are going to feel a lot stronger in the Lord and fully equipped to face your fear.
Think of how God is with you all the time. Only He has the power to strengthen you, to help you, and to uphold you with the right hand of His righteousness. Believing this truth has the power to calm all fear. 1 John 4:17-18 KJV tells us, “God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment.” When we focus our thoughts on God, fear dissipates.
Biblical meditation is great for calming anxiety. Meditating on Scripture delivers a lot of other great benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. Start with short, comforting Scripture verses if you are a beginner or if you have not meditated before. You can write these verses on flashcards until you have them memorized. Breathing deep breaths in between verses is a great way to get your body in a more relaxed state if you find it difficult to stay still or focused.
3. Focus on Positive Change
If you are struggling to face your fears, think of what the consequences will be if you don’t make the needed changes. How will your life be a year from now if you don’t change anything now? Most likely, you will still be stuck feeling dissatisfied with your life and not motivated to move forward for the Lord.
The reason you are still reading this is that you are feeling sick and tired and/or fed up and want to make a change. So, start facing your fear today! Choosing to not deal with it will lead to feeling more frustrated, resentful, and out of control. Focusing on what will happen if you don’t face your fear, can provide you with the motivation you need to make positive change.
By recognizing your fears, facing up to them, prayerfully taking them to God and asking Him for deliverance, and meditating on God’s Word daily you can truly conquer them. While it may keep us comfortable at the moment to ignore or not deal with our fear, fear can cause frustration and depression. If you truly want to live your life wholly for Christ and His cause, you need to stop letting fear hinder you from being all He has called you to be.
