Proverbs 29:25, John 3:16

Lucy Paculabo Mhondera

Fear = to be afraid of; to shrink from; to have an uneasy anticipation

We all have something that frightens us, things we are scared of. Some are scared of spiders, some of the dark, others of being alone or losing a loved one. The world and society around us can create fear in us, fear of not being adequate, fear of not fitting in, fear of failure and rejection. Satan relishes in our fears and can use them against us to stand in the way of the greatness of what God has in store for us, if we let him.

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

Fear of people can control everything you do. In some cases it can make you afraid to even leave your home and face others. It can creep up inside of you and before you know it, it is controlling your every move. The only thing we should be fearful of is God, not in a shaking, scared way, like watching a monster in a horror movie, but with respect, reverence and trust. Instead of fearing people who can cause you no eternal harm fear God who can turn people's intended harm into good, for those who trust Him.

"For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Probably one of the most famous verses in the Bible! Jesus died to save us from our sins and to bring us eternal life. He paid the price to set us free yet we can still let things stand in the way of our freedom. Being afraid of something may be getting in the way of you following God's plan for your life. If you are bound by fear you are not free because it will rule in your life and take over. For example perhaps God wants to use you as a speaker and communicator to others but you are afraid of public speaking. Until you let go of that fear you will not be able to move forward and experience the gifts and adventures God has planned for you. If you let go and trust in Him you will flourish and soon that fear will fade away.

Even Jesus in His last days experienced fear. Matthew 26:38-39 says "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." He fell with His face to the ground and prayed "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Jesus was in great anguish and distress over the physical pain He was about to endure. We can only begin to imagine how He must have felt knowing what was coming His way. He struggled in His human nature but He knew it was part of God's plan. Jesus' strength came from His relationship with God and God was not just there to strengthen Jesus but He is our source of strength today. Because of the anguish Jesus experienced he can relate to our suffering and fears. We have Jesus who can relate to our fears and God who can strengthen us to conquer our fears, so remember you are not alone in this!

1 John 4:4 says "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

It is so easy to be frightened by all the horrible things around us. Just turning on the news we are kept up to date with the wickedness that surrounds our world. We can be overwhelmed by what we see and hear and by the problems we face. In our human flesh evil is strong but God is stronger. We have to remember that God has already won the battle! He conquers all evil and we must continue to have His spirit and His word alive in our hearts each and every day.

"Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:13-17

We must depend on God's strength daily. We can not live this life alone in our own strength. God has given us a solid piece of armour to use in battle. The word of God is such an important piece of our armour, it is the sword. God's word is full of strength, hope and love and we need to schedule time every day to read and learn. Try reading this verse every morning so you are armed and ready for the day's challenges. This armour is there to be used so use it!

God has an amazing, wonderful plan for your life, perfectly mapped out just for you! We are all unique, different sizes, shapes and colours, made perfectly the way God intended. Don't let fear stand in the way of what God has in store for your life but instead trust in Him and lay your fears down before Him.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" Jeremiah 29:11-13