Straight Thinking 050568 Overcoming Fear

Straight Thinking

050568

OVERCOMING FEAR

Sunday. Realize that fear can be sin. In the Book of Revelation, John lists people that will have their part in what he calls the lake of fire and sulfur. The first kind is the fearful; the second is the unbelieving. Something’s wrong with our belief in God and our faith in Christ if we are constantly beset with fear. (Read Revelation 21:8.)

Monday. Forget superstitious fears. From time immemorial, peoples have let their imaginations run away with them, supposing that all sorts of mysterious evils control our world, but people enlightened by God’s revelation should understand that a righteous God controls this universe. (Read Psalm 24:1.)

Tuesday. Know what’s what. There are two things wrong with ignorance: we fear what we shouldn’t and don’t fear what we should. An educated fear may save our life. Furthermore, if we know what to be afraid of, we’ll learn either how to handle it or how to steer clear of it. As a result, we’ll be less fearful. Learning what to fear helps us overcome fear itself. (Read Proverbs 1:33.)

 Wednesday. Remember who’s who. We may fear death and those who might try to kill us. But if we understand that death is not an end to life but a change in life, we can close our eyes in peace when persecution overcomes us. If we fear God to the extent that we obey him, we have no reason to fear people who oppose him. (Read Matthew 10:28-33.)

Thursday. Obey God. God has shown us his power, and he has shown us that he uses it for the good and against the bad. We need not therefore live in morbid fear of him who saved us from our sins by sending us his Son; in fact, we love him for it and obey him because of it. (Read Romans 5:6-12; 1 John 4:18; Johnn 14:15; 1 John 4:18.)

Friday. Act as under God’s direction. Moses left Egypt twice, the first time in fear, the second in faith. He fled the first time because he had jumped the gun in trying to deliver his people, but the second time he wasn’t afraid of Pharaoh, because he knew that the God who told him to deliver Israel was directing what he did. (Read Acts 7:23-29.)

Saturday. See the One that’s invisible. There is comfort in knowing that we’re not alone; we have desire to try, encouragement to continue, and confidence that we can do what we have to. If we believe God is with us, we’ll overcome our fear. (Read Psalm 139:7-12; 27:1; Hebrews 11:27.)

Virgil Warren, Straight, May 5, 1968, p13                                                                                   chrisstir.org