What Are You Afraid Of?...

Have you watched the local news lately? If you haven't, don't feel bad... I don't make a habit out of watching the news either. And here's why: When I watch the news, I watch to be informed....to be made aware of important things (good or bad) that are happening around me. However, what I find is that I'm not being made aware of what's going on...I'm being made afraid of what's going on. Case and point: I was listening to a preview of the nightly news on the radio that ended with "More cause for alarm, Tonight at 11." I'm thinking to myself "Why in the hell would I want to be alarmed?...Why would anybody want to be alarmed?" I started thinking about how much the news is designed to scare us. Why would the government want to scare us?..

Sit back... let me take you on a trip...

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."~2 Timothy 1:7

What does this scripture tell us about fear? 1)It's a spirit and 2)It doesn't come from God. This is interesting because most of us don't regularly think of fear as a spirit, but it is. If fear is a spirit that doesn't come from God, where does it come from? There's only one obvious answer, Satan. I would venture to say that fear is the most powerful weapon Satan has. If he can scare you...he can paralyze you. If he can paralyze you, he can stop you from achieving professional goals and destroy your personal relationships without you even realizing it.

See, that's what makes fear such a powerful weapon. The spirit of fear can be, literally, put on you without you even realizing it and before you know it... you're paralyzed. Case and point:

Ever since 9/11, all we hear about is terrorism, terrorist threats, and causes for alarm. The government tells us everyday...via media... how terrorists want to take our freedoms away from us. Homeland Security even issues a "terror threat level" daily to let us know how afraid of being attacked by terrorists we should be for the day. (you can find it here) The thought of terrorism is frightening for a lot of us...we love/value the freedoms we have in this country. The thought that there are people who want to take that away from us bone chilling. It's so scary to us, that we will do anything to keep that from happening....even if it means giving up some of our rights to our own federal government. YES...I said it.

Here's my point:

The government has us so terrified of terrorism, that we have allowed them to put things like "Homeland Security" in place. We have given them the authority to listen to our calls, search our property without just cause, and even profile certain races. YES WE HAVE! Why? Because we have been convinced that we need to give these rights up so that the government can protect us. They know that they can't just take your rights from you, so they scare you into giving them up freely. That's what fear will do to you! The Holocaust, Jim Crow Laws, the new immigration law in Arizona..... All of these things were ALLOWED to happen because somebody scared somebody into it. Pay attention, people.

But I digress....

As Christians, we should not fall victim to the power for fear. Our faith should be in God. Fear and faith cannot coexist. You're either afraid, or you have faith. The Bible tells us NOT to operate in fear...

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."~Phillippians 4:6-7

So, while the world says "Be afraid!" God says "Pray and I'll give you peace."

The point I'm trying to make with this whole post is that fear is a spirit. It get's on you through your eyes and your ears. Be careful what you expose yourself to. If it makes you afraid, pray. Don't allow the fear to paralyze you. God wants you to have a full life...life abundantly. You can't have that if you are allowing yourself to be held captive by your own fear. Don't be afraid be convinced!...because you are already covered!

That's my word and I'm out. Be Blessed :))