Do Not Listen To The Voice of FEAR!

Why did I choose such an interesting definition of fear? There exist two types of fear. The first one is the healthy version. It’s the one that keeps you out of the pit of lions or acting recklessly. Unhealthy fear is the one that I’m alluding to.

It is a fear that feeds on our anxiety and causes one to imagine the worst-case scenario. For instance, I once received a letter from the IRS. My mother saw the letter and imagined the worse. She thought I was getting audited.

She told me about the letter when I got home. It turns out the letter was good news. It’s money from an old 401K account. It was not too much; however, it’s far better than my poor mother’s imagined fear.

I had a totally different reaction to that letter. Though I did not know the content, I knew that it could be anything and chose not to speculate. Such speculation would only serve to add fuel to an existing atmosphere of fear and anxiety.

Years earlier, I had learned a valuable lesson about reacting to someone else’s feelings of agitation. Somehow, I picked up on it and broadcasted it. My boss came in and quickly realized what happened. Lorna is the one, who introduced the idea.

I have a choice in how I respond in a given situation. I could see that my mother was worried and I respected her concerns. However, I did not need to entertain that spirit of fear. So, I calmly said, “Let’s find out.”

False Evidence Appearing Real will scream loudly “It’s the end of the world! You are in deep trouble! There is no hope, now.” I have a one-word answer for this load of crap and you can smell it, from any nearby manure pile. Let’s not give this phony voice, a door of opportunity! Shall we?

Again, I am talking about the type of fear that thrives on anxiety and imagined fear. Its goal is to paralyze you and keep one from boldly stepping forward. Instead, we need to tune into what God is saying about the situation.

In the above scenario, I did not have to work to keep my emotions in check. Why is this important? Our emotions can easily cloud one’s perception of the fact and cause us to react in ways that’s not helpful. Some years ago, I’ve received a phone call that really angered me.

Thankfully, I heeded the still quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit warned me about letting my anger get out of control. I thanked Jesus for the warning and talked it out with a friend. Yes, I was right to be angry; however, my anger needed to be kept in check.

By doing so, I’m able to defuse an even bigger problem caused by the same person, who called me. That’s why it is important to not let our emotions dominate. Fear and anger can easily skew the facts and cause you and I to jump to false conclusions.

What voice are you choosing to listen to? Yes, you do have a choice; even if it’s not your doing. You can always choose how you will respond. My friend, Jennifer once asked our church, “Which one are you? Are you a thermostat or a thermometer?”

Are you a thermometer? Are you someone that takes the temperature of a situation and react accordingly? Are you a thermostat? Do you walk into a situation and decide to change the atmosphere of a room or situation?

For some people, they love to raise the temperature of a room and raise havoc! They think nothing of the trouble or grief that’s left behind. For others, they will leave a chill in the atmosphere. I suspect fear, anxiety, and depression would leave a nasty chill in the atmosphere. Let’s not engage in this kind of activity.

As Christians, we have the ability to reset the thermostat to where an atmosphere of love, grace, compassion, hope, and peace can exist and grow and affect the people, around us. You do not have to go along with the negativity that is hanging in the air. Let’s change the atmosphere!

It begins with a relationship with God, the Father, and choosing to agree with God, on the situation. In case you missed it, prayer is an essential ingredient. In this case, we need to choose to listen to what God is saying; not our emotions or what the Adversary is saying. Let’s stop agreeing with Hell!

It also helps to spend time in God’s Word. Take the time to renew your mind by spending time reading the Bible and being in God, the Father’s presence! I encourage you to spend some quiet time talking with God.

Finally, I will say this. Do not be afraid or let the voice of fear dominate you. Place your trust in God, Almighty, and the One in whom the Father has sent, Jesus. Don’t be afraid to seek God and ask for his help. Be willing to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you?