Isaiah 41.10
“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 righteous right hand.”
Throughout scripture, the Lord tells us “Do not fear” or “Be not afraid” or “Fear not” or “Have courage.” This is because God sends us into a fallen, broken world that is under the influence and control of an enemy who is the god of fear. In this fallen world we are confronted with challenging situations, and many of them are intimidating and frightening.
Fear distorts and debilitates. It limits your perspective, disrupts your thinking, and holds you back from doing what needs to be done. Fear produces poor decisions. Faith empowers. It expands your perspective, clarifies your thinking, and moves you forward. Keep in mind that courage is not the absence of fear. Faith-driven courage experiences fear, but it takes action anyway. Faith produces courage.
If we dwell on self and circumstances, we feed fear and anxiety. If we focus on Jesus and what needs to be done, we feed faith and courage. This is the message of the often quoted passage in Philippians:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4.6-7)
It’s all about what you allow to occupy your heart and mind. If you dwell on the negative, you simply feed your frustration or fear, which leads to bad decisions, which causes you to be even more anxious, angry, or afraid. It’s a doom loop. What you need to do is press pause, interrupt the negative cycle, and set your mind on the things of Spirit. Redirect your focus from the negative to the productive.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8.5-6)
This passage instructs us to recognize and refocus. He makes it clear that the battle is in the mind. Everyone wants “external” victory and success. But to win the battle on the outside you must first win the battle on the inside. If you don’t do the inner work of faith, you will not have victory in external things.
It is possible to believe in Jesus but not do this essential inner work. The consequence is a person who is saved but struggling. A person who is saved but defeated. The quality of your inner work determines the quality of your outer work. It is for this reason that scripture places such a high priority on the activity of the mind.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12.1-2)
Trust God and do the inner work. Fear not.
Coram Deo
