10 Concerns in the Christians Walk with God – Part 3
3. Conquer an Overwhelming Fear We sometimes get tired and lose our enthusiasm for serving the Lord because we face opposition. Sometimes we feel intimidated or helpless, which the Word of God calls the spirit of fear. One of Satan’s most effective weapon in quenching our spiritual flame is fear. Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;…. The Lord tells Paul to fight fear with His promises. He promises to be with him, to protect him, and to use him to bring people into the kingdom. Now Paul is directing Timothy to the same source of hope. He says broadly, be disciplined, be diligent, be brave, for God is with you. Who has not experienced fear in ministry? If you have ever done street evangelism, perhaps you know this feeling. If you have ever been a part of a church plant, you understand the fear of the unknowns. If you have ever been in a tense meeting where people oppose you, even gang up on you, perhaps you have experienced timidity. Remember: fight fear with the promises of God. The Spirit of God empowering the people of God is enough to accomplish the mission of God. We can all relate to experiencing fear in one form or another. It’s a natural emotion just like grief or anger. You don’t ever coach yourself, “I think I need to feel afraid.” You don’t have to plan it—fear just happens. We have nothing to fear—and yet we do fear. We need an answer for our worries. What do you fear as you’re going through a storm? It may not be the storm itself, but what’s coming afterward. Or someone who's just been diagnosed with a chronic illness—it’s not the news today, it’s tomorrow and next week. The worry of, ”What will happen to me? Will I be okay?” The unknown results and outcomes may drive your fears. But there is an alternative. In the midst of the storm, you do not have to fear the future. God is with you. Nothing comes into your life but what Almighty God allows. Nothing comes into your life that God doesn’t already know about. And since He is with you, you don’t have to fear. Too many Christians want the benefit of claiming “God is with me,” but spend too little time talking to the God who is with them. Can fear be avoided entirely? Probably not. But Scripture gives us an alternative plan that prepares for and responds to fear. Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” God's Word gives us hope when we find ourselves overtaken by fear. Instead of wallowing in it, we can put our trust in Him. We can deliberately turn away from fear and toward the Lord. This affirmation is also found in Isaiah 12:2, “…I will trust, and not be afraid...” If you have fear, remember, you didn't get your fear from Him. The word fear means to be "fearful or timid." It is a fear that is produced by a lack of confidence. It is a fear that produced by lack of faith. Many times in the Word of God we see that fear and faithlessness go together. When Jesus dealt with the disciples over their fear of the storm, He asked them Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:40) Fear is produced by a lack of confidence in the Lord. The disciples' biggest problem wasn't the storm, it was their lack of faith. Why wait for fears to come before you decide to trust God? Practice trusting Him as a daily exercise—spend time in His Word and in prayer. When you do, you may not even notice how many fears you’ll simply pass by, because your attention will be on the One who is not threatened by anything. · In what ways do you struggle with fear? ·How can faith, particularly in the promise of God’s presence and protection, overcome your fears? Prayer, Father, You are with me, so I never face my fears alone. And You are for me, so who can stand against me? You gave Your own Son for me, and You will graciously give me all I need. When I fear, help me to cling to Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me to speak and live fearlessly because You are with me. I am never alone. You are with me. I commit this truth to my heart right now. May this simple, profound truth sustain me today. In the power of Your name, amen. Visit webpage again for – Part 4. 10 Concerns in the Christians Walk with God – Part 2
In the previous post we discussed that when a false accusation has been made against our character how to wait on the Lord and trust Him with it. (If you have not yet read that post, I’d encourage you to read it before reading this post.) 2. Bury a Deep-Rooted Grudge You are going to have painful things coming at you from someone at some point in your life. Anyone who ever tried to do anything for God has faced opposition. If you’ve been severely criticized without grounds. If you’ve been falsely accused of lies or wrong doing and your now paying for something you never did. Never retaliate! If you see no further than your critic and his or her criticism then you only compound the hurt! Never give up! No matter what you’ve been through-GOD still has a future for you. If you have been unjustly criticized or dealing right now with a struggle, then you MUST find closure and put it to rest. By doing so you can begin to claim victory in the LORD and all that HE has for you, Harboring an old grudge is never healthy emotionally and spiritually. What are we to do with old grudges? Learn to blow it off, let it go and forgive them. You can choose to reject an offense. If someone attacks, you can choose to respond in a way that reverses the hurt rather than retain and nurse the hurt. You can refuse to carry an offense in your heart, or you can turn it into a grievance story. Here are a few verses that can help deal with this issue (Matthew 6:14-15; Romans 12:17-21; I Corinthians 13:4-8; Ephesians 4:31-32). Consider: The delivery man arrived at your front door with a letter and asked you to sign for it. When you asked what is in the letter, he looks at his clipboard as says, “The form says this is laced with anthrax”. At that point, we understand that God has given us a brain and HE expects us to use it. You hand the letter back to the delivery man and say, “There‘s no way I‘m signing for this. Return it to the sender!” God will take care of those who willfully offend you. Trust HIM to do it. Your part is to refuse to sign up for the offense. Refuse to think about it or to talk about it. When we receive an offense, we may as well be signing for a letter with anthrax. The more we allow offenses to occupy our minds, the more we begin to develop a criticism story. And the more we rehearse and retell that grievance story, we truly do ourselves harm in the long run. Prayer: Heavenly Father, for too long I have been nursing this grudge and refusing to let go of it and allow you to take it from me. I’m now ready to give it to you. Soften my heart so that it does not become calloused. Keep my spirit right so that it does not become sour. In Jesus name, Amen. Visit webpage again for – Part 3. 10 Concerns in the Christians Walk with God
Often we may feel as if our purpose in life is futile or wasted. Much of this is due to our busy lives with stretched schedules. At times we may get very discouraged because we realize we are not making an acceptable contribution or positive/productive impact in the lives of the people we encounter each day. Below are ten techniques that can assist you when ministering in the lives of others. May this help rekindle your passion for service as you seek to minister in the lives of others. 1. Terminate a False Accusation with a Trust No one likes to be falsely accused. False accusations are an attack on our character caused by a misunderstanding of our words, or actions, that may bring disgrace and suspicion upon us. What are we to do when we are falsely accused? The only thing we can do is stick it out and trust God to make it right. Remember how Jesus responded when He was falsely accused: He said nothing to His accusers, but committed Himself to God (Matthew 26:59-63; I Peter 2:21-23). In the end, who was right? Jesus was, of course. His Resurrection proved His innocence and God’s acceptance of His sacrifice. I have been falsely accused of many things over the course of my ministry. Believe me when I tell you, it hurts. You either have been, or will be, the subject of false accusations. You might have to wait a lifetime before your name is cleared from the false charges. Even if your reputation is in shambles, your friends have believed the lies against you and no one wants to stand with you, the Bible says the evidence will someday prove you right. When you didn’t do it, just commit your way to God and trust Him. He will bring your trial to pass. Psalm 37:5-8 “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” ·In your life, what does it look like when you trust but don’t wait? ·What does it look like when you wait but don’t trust? ·In what hardship in your life do you need to experience God’s peace and rest? Prayer, Lord God, I trust You, and I’m going to wait for Your timing. I need peace without resolution. The end isn’t in sight, God, and I need rest during this season of hardship. My resources aren’t sufficient, my wisdom can’t plot a way out, and my ingenuity can’t remove the pressure. But You know all about that. You saw it coming, chose to allow it, and promise to use it for my good. I want my thoughts to reflect a greater confidence in You. Forgive me for the times I’ve strived to do too much, and forgive me for the times I’ve worried and doubted You. Teach me to trust and wait. You know when, God. I choose to trust You and wait for You to act. Please give me rest and peace, in the name of Jesus, Amen. Visit webpage again for – Part 2. |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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