by Kathy Green
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 NASB 
Today I want to hit the topic of OVERCOMING an archenemy, FEAR. Fear is paralyzing. Fear is one of the biggest road blocks and hindrances to fulfilling your destiny. Today, people don’t often admit to being “AFRAID.” There are more popular, politically correct words like, “STRESSED, UNDER PRESSURE, TENSE, WORRIED, CONCERNED, OVERWHELMED…” It is all basic generic FEAR.
FEAR, simply put is, “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.” Most fears that we battle in life are regarding things that are not a REALITY… BUT IN OUR MINDS A POSSIBILITY. Fear or anxiety involves an uneasy dread of the future… what may happen, what may not happen, what someone might do, what someone might not do… When you think about it, the “possibilities” are innumerable. You could walk out on the street and get hit by a car today. You could just go to the grocery store, use the self- checkout touch screen and contact the deadly Ebola virus. The plane you are taking on your business trip this week could go down over the Atlantic. Although it may be impossible to calculate the exact statistics… I am pretty confident that at least 90% of things people fear never happen.
When we say things like, “It’s been a really stressful day.” Taking a closer look, we find that the “STRESS” involves an uncomfortable pressure or FEAR of what could happen if certain things don’t come together. It is estimated that today 18% of adults in the U.S. are suffering some kind of an “Anxiety (fear) Disorder.” At the same time, drug companies are raking in billions as an estimated 13% of the population may be taking anti-depressants used to treat anxiety and depression.
We have all experienced those annoying symptoms of fear… heart racing, breaking out in a cold sweat, difficulty sleeping, headaches, trouble focusing, short temper, butterflies in your stomach. This response in your physical body was put there as a protective mechanism to kick into FIGHT or FLIGHT mode. The problem is when there no real life- threatening situation… these mechanisms become self destructive. Anxiety highers your heart rate, highers your blood pressure, highers your blood sugar, and gives an increased possibility of developing blood clots, among other things.
Here are 6 principles for Overcoming FEAR…
1) You must aggressively resist the temptation to FEAR. Fear is a choice… You can refuse to give in to fear. Fear is a spiritual force. It is tangible, and it’s foreboding presence will try to overtake you. That is when it is time to fight! Resist fear and choose instead to believe for a good outcome. Choose to trust God. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.” (II Tim. 1:7 NKJ). The way to keep your mind thinking clearly, even in the midst of impending trouble is to RESIST FEAR… push it away just like resisting an invisible assailant. If fear comes against you 50 times in a day… you need to resist and refuse to go with it 50 times a day.
2) Guard what you HEAR… Guard who you hang out with. FEAR is a negative form of FAITH. Faith is a confident expectation that things will turn out OK; FEAR would tell you “No Way… disaster is coming.” The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). FEAR also comes from what you HEAR. If you are going to have victory over fear, you have to guard what you are listening to. You cannot spend hours of your day watching news reports on terrorist attacks, death and destruction and have victory over fear. You also can not hang out with negative people who always look at the down side of life. Surround yourself with positive, faith-filled people. Focus on positive things happening in the world and God’s promises on purpose.
3) Take control over your thoughts.
Thoughts are powerful. Thoughts are like seeds that are producing a harvest in your life. If you allow your mind to be a canvas for the enemy to paint pictures of catastrophe, fear gains power. You can control what you think. You can choose to change the channel of your thoughts just like clicking the TV remote. We are in a battle, but we win if we “Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 NKJ) What you think effects your perception, your faith, and your destiny.
4) Tackle FEAR HEAD ON.
If you will have victory over fear, you can’t beat around the bush. You have to stare right into the gruesome face of FEAR, and refuse the temptation to go that direction. On more than once occasion, I have had opportunities to give in to fear at night, as I have heard strange noises in another room. Each time, I made the decision to hit FEAR head on. I have gone directly into the ominous room, flipped on all the lights, and gotten to the root of the mysterious noise without loosing any sleep. That is how you are going to have to deal with fear. It is amazing how FEAR will flee, when you do what fear is telling you ” DON”T DO THAT!” Fear is an imaginary voice of deception. Hit fear head on and prove that faith wins over fear every time.
5) Get a Hold Of God’s Word… Meditate on God’s Promises. There is nothing that will drive FEAR out and bring an expectation of good like the word of God, The Bible. Some people would say the Bible is an archaic, irrelevant historical book. I can tell you that nothing has transformed my life and given me power to overcome in life like the word of God. Take a few of God’s promises in His word…especially the New Testament. Write them down and think about them every day. Think about them before you go to bed at night, when you have your cup of coffee in the morning. Everyone and his uncle loves Psalm 23. The Psalmists says, “Yea though I walk through the valley of death I WILL FEAR NO EVIL” You may feel some effects of that dark place and circumstances, but you can choose not to FEAR as you stand on His promises.
6) Be led by PEACE not FEAR.
Have you ever made a decision when you were under the gun of pressure and anxiety? I guarantee it was not a good decision. Find peace… find a place of peace and let the peace of God lead you. Fear would cause you to compromise all of your good judgement. There is a peace that comes even in times of storm. You will have to quiet your mind and emotions in order to draw off the PEACE that passes all understanding. The PEACE of God will generate wise direction and good decisions. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 NKJ