“Fear not, for I am with you” Isaiah 41:10
Fear, worry, and stress are among the most harmful forces we might encounter. They drain our strength and gradually destroy our faith, preventing us from maturing in Christ.
We must uncover God’s plan for breaking free from the devastating cycle of stress if we are to grow in our relationship with Jesus.
What are the causes of fear ?
When we face a circumstance and choose to rely on our own strength rather than God and His Word, we experience anxiety, worry, and stress. Perhaps it’s because we’ve forgotten that God is capable of dealing with any crisis.
Or maybe we let our carnal nature convince us that we can handle the matter better ourselves. We are actually practicing a subtle type of idolatry by doing so. Think about God’s first commandment to Moses:
“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7).
To put it another way, we should only trust God.
When we choose to rely on our own understanding rather than God’s promises, we are putting ourselves, or the overwhelming problems we face, in front of the Lord.
We open our emotions to a flood of anxiety, concern, and tension the instant we walk into that area of self-reliance. Anyone trapped in this web, however, has hope and freedom.
How to break the Chains of fear ?
God wants us to be worry-free. “Come to Me, all you who are tired and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” Jesus said (Matt. 11:28). But, in order to access that rest, we must remove the source of stress’s power: our unbelief (Hebrews 3:19).
Jesus confronts our fruitless anxiety in one of the most important passages of Scripture (Matthew 6:25-34). Look at how God feeds the birds of the sky and arranges the flowers of the field, he says. How much more will He look after his kids?
“Do not be concerned” about the things of this world, Jesus says next. Instead, we should prioritize God in our lives. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and the rest will be taken care of by Him.
Nothing in this world, no financial burden, family crisis, job situation, sickness… nothing in the past or in the future can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). We can cast our worries on Him since He cares so much about us (1 Peter 5:7)
Putting Our Concerns in His Hands
Every day will present us with new opportunities to cast our worries on Him. One of the most effective methods to do this is to replace stress and tension with prayer and gratitude.
“Be worried about nothing,” the Bible says, “but let your requests be made known to God in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” (Phil 4:6).
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,” the command is followed by a magnificent promise (Phil 4:7).
It’s also crucial to start implementing God’s rest pattern into your own life. Set aside one day a week as the Lord’s day, taking a break from your work routine to enter into His rest.
Worries will fade away as we learn to believe God, walk in His favor, and trust in His strength. Worries will be replaced by a precious peace known only to those who rest in God’s loving arms.
While You Pray
Are you walking in His purpose? Or do you feel shut down by worry, anxiety, and tension? There’s a simple solution: apologize to God for not accepting His promises, start giving Him priority in your life, and then rest in His rest.
Take a few moments now to enter the rest that God has prepared for you: “Please forgive me for my sins. I’m no longer willing to put my faith in my own abilities. Thank you for showing such concern for me. I hand over all of my concerns to You. I know I can put my trust in You in these circumstances. I’ll take your rest. Please show me how to walk in Your rest on a daily basis. In the name of Jesus. Amen”
what does God’s word say about fear and worry ?
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, reap, or collect into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” Aren’t you worth a lot more than they are? And which of you can add a single cubit to his life span by being anxious?
And why are you so concerned about your clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil or spin, yet I say to you that Solomon, in all his glory, did not dress himself like one of these.
Will God not do the same for you, O men of little faith, as He does for the grass of the field that is put into the furnace? ‘What shall we eat?’ ‘What shall we drink?’ ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ do not be concerned.
The Gentiles are anxiously seeking all of these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you require all of them. But seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and everything else will be added to you. As a result, do not be concerned about tomorrow; it will take care of itself. Each day is difficult enough on its own” (Matthew 6:26-34).
Devotional scripture
Luke 21:34 – Jesus commands us not to worry
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