We can be so stuck in the mode of struggle and strife that we can’t imagine what a life of peace and rest looks like. This happens when we become conditioned by fear because of the attacks waged against us by the enemy. It is indeed the devil’s intention to cause us to respond to our lives continually out of a mind-and-heart-set of fear. It is also imperative that we take the time to think about this, so that we can see the strategy that is used to steal our blessings. God commands us in Ephesians 4:23 to renew our minds, because this is where we are attacked most, in the mind. Human beings develop habits when a behavior or thought pattern is repeated. It then becomes automatic for us to think and feel a certain way, and sometimes this certain way keeps us stuck in fear. Then, we are so afraid that our blessings will be taken from us that we create an opening for the enemy to do just that.
Can’t make sense of cause-and-effect
Some of us are very bitter because of what we’ve gone through. The bad break-ups and toxic relationships; the husbands and boyfriends who betrayed us or emotionally abandoned the relationship; the financial struggles and self-esteem issues; these events can leave us with anger, and sometimes rage. Many of us never confront these deep-seated emotions, and because of this, it is very easy for them to fuel fear. The truth will make us free, but ignorance will keep us bound and continually in the dark. Any time that you have unanswered questions, or you don’t understand the cause-and-effect at play, wounds will continue to fester.
When something terrible happens, especially if it involves men, some of us will blame the man for everything, but Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our fight is not against a flesh and blood individual. All you and I really need to know about cause-and-effect is that the enemy has plotted against us, but we can’t just lie down and allow ourselves to become his perpetual punching bag. 2Corinithans 2:11 tells us that we have the capacity to outsmart the devil, and we must do so with all the weaponry that comes with the authority of Christ; these are weapons like love, forgiveness, and faith.
The problem is that we allow fear to have more weight in our hearts than faith. You see, our feelings will follow what we truly believe in our hearts. Our feelings give us away. We’re angry because we feel powerless; we’re sad because we feel hopeless; we’re bitter because we feel unloved and insecure. We’ve got so much going on internally that we can’t sort through it all. This is the very burden that Jesus Christ said in Matthew 11:28, “Bring it all to ME! I can handle it!” His Spirit is on the inside of us, and His Spirit will always work according to God’s Will and good pleasure.
When faith and feeling meet
Subconsciously, some of us keep ourselves in the struggle because we’re terrified that if we open the door for a new blessing, it might be taken away. We don’t want to face this reality. So, we play it safe by continuing to foster the emotions and feelings that give fear a cozy place to call home. Hebrews 11:6(NLT) says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Faith is a leap! It has no beginning and no end, so there’s no bottom—no ground of which the feet of our flesh may stand. It will only hold the weight of our spiritual stand upon Jesus Christ, who is the Rock of our Salvation and the living Word of God. Faith is an overwhelming and extraordinarily powerful spiritual substance; and so is fear. We have to decide which one we’re going to put on.
As God delivered the children of Israel from the tyranny of enslavement by the Egyptians, Moses told them in Exodus 14:13(NIV), “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again.” The children of Israel were so conditioned to slavery that Moses had to poke and prod them every step of the way. He had to continuously encourage them to trust God to do the impossible. Why? Because they had such a mind-and-heart-set of fear. Through Moses, God provided the grace to help them breakout of these habit patterns, but still many of them did not. They were perhaps relieved to leave slavery in Egypt, but they became comfortable in the wilderness, and allowed fear to enslave them once again. Many of God’s people died in the wilderness because they would not stand firm on God’s Word, even after all He had done for them.
This can be said of many of us. We, too, have a mind-and-heart-set of fear, even after all that God has done for us. Even after He has brought us from a mighty long way, some of our stomachs are still in perpetual knots of anxiety about what the future holds. Comfort, security, and power doesn’t come from any manmade source, it comes from standing on God’s Word. His Word is truth. Proverbs 12:3(MSG) tells us, “You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm.” Fear is the swamp, it’s no place for God’s children. His Word is the foundation of our strength and faith, and it will always hold us up and never let us down.
We are called believers for a reason. We must know that when faith connects with feelings that represent our belief in God, it means that we are trusting Him. It is a moment by moment choice, and we are capable of making it with each breath we take. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2Thessalonians 2:15(NIV), “So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” Let’s do as Paul says and stand firm in our faith in God and His Word through the Lord Jesus Christ; for our blessed and powerful Heavenly Father is not in the business of taking our blessings away. He’s in the business of adding to them. ■
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Afraid He’s Going to Take It Away”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.