COMMON FEARS
Fear is a stronghold of the mind
Fear is an opposite of faith
Fear is crippling - frustrating
(it is manifested in our lives by stress, worry, burn-out, depression)
Fear is a misunderstanding of God
Gideons Story:
“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12
“The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14 “But I will be with you, and you’ll be victorious.”
Gideon asks for a sign. Judges 6:17 “If I have found favor, give me a sign”
But Gideon asks for that 2nd sign: Judges 6:36 “God, I’m going to lay this fleece on the ground, and if it’s really you speaking, make the fleece wet with dew, but the ground around it dry.”
But Gideon the Fearful asks for a 3rd sign: Judges 6:39 “God, this time make the ground wet but keep the fleece dry.”
So, what are the intersects between this story and our stories?
- We must face our past with honesty. 6:1
2. We must see ourselves with clarity. 6:12
“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12
3. We must see our future with Jesus. 6:12, 14, 16; 7:9
“The Lord is with you” 6:12 (Build)
“Am I not sending you?” 6:14
“But I will be with you.” 6:16
Summary of How to Overcome Fear & Frustration
Fear is a stronghold of the mind:
(2 Timothy 1:7) “God has not given us a spirit of fear…”
Fear is an opposite of faith:
(Hebrews 11:1) “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…”
Fear is crippling – frustrating:
(Isaiah 40:31) “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…”
Fear is a misunderstanding of God:
(Matthew 6:9) “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name….”
Knowing God’s Love is the remedy for fear:
(I John 4:18) “perfect love casts out fear…”