FEAR is a BIG DEAL!!! / Mrs Ellie DeAnda

Mrs Ellie DeAnda

Pastor's Wife

Iglesia Bautista Casa de Gracia

Chicago, Illinois

I was asked to write an article for today's blog.  Can you guess what  topic we'll be talking about today after looking at this emoji?: 

             

       

You guessed it!! Whether you want to admit it or not, all of us are afraid of something! Some people are afraid of the dark, spiders, snakes, dogs, being alone, crowds, doctors, needles, heights, tests, storms, & death. That’s just to name a few! FEAR is a BIG deal! Fear can get out of control and keep us from doing the things that we need to do. It is a serious issue that people deal with on a daily basis. The bad thing about fear is that many people have been controlled and crippled by the monster of fear to the extent that it greatly influences their entire perspective on life! Fear can kill dreams, destroy desires,  steal futures, it can even affect our thinking, give us ulcers, headaches, neck pain, back pain, affect our digestion-- our overall health. 

I chose this topic because one of the biggest things I have dealt with my entire life is FEAR! When I was a little girl, I had a lot of fears! Just to name a few, I was afraid of speaking in front of the class. (I did almost anything to get out of it, like fake sick the morning of), I feared getting a certain 5th grade teacher because everyone said he was mean! Guess what? I received a letter in the mail the month before school started and wouldn't you know, I was assigned to the teacher I most feared. 😢 I even made a trip to the doctor's office that summer since I made myself sick worrying about being in his class. 🤒I remember countless times fearing death to the point I made myself sick. After I received assurance of my salvation in 4th grade, my mentor told me I should get baptized,  I was terrified to get baptized at my church. The cycle continued throughout my life and as I got older I "wore a mask" to cover my real feelings, just because I didn't want to bother anyone with my fears and insecurities. The older I got, the more I feared the way people perceived me. (The outward appearance, because that's what I was taught to focus on)  You could've called me a people pleaser.  I looked to find approval and acceptance from everyone, because that made me feel happy but it never gave me true joy. I rarely ever considered who I was in Christ. In recent days, I have found myself worrying about what people think of me, my family, if they are criticizing the decisions we've made on where we have chosen ministry, if my kids are going to turn out right, if I'm nagging my kids too much, if I'm really doing a good job rearing them, & if I'm doing enough as a Pastor's wife.  All that to say, I face fears often and I'm sure some of you reading this do as well.  The problem is, fear is a poison that the devil uses to stop Christians. He doesn't want us to be or do what God created us to be or do!  As long as he can continue using fear to conquer us, that's what he will use! Is he using fear to stop you from being who God created you to be?  Do you worry about who people say you are instead of who God says you are? Are you stressed and worried because you're aiming to please people more than you are aiming to please God? Oh, I've been there, I know- it's REAL!! The Bible tells that fear brings torment! 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."        

I've been tormented by fear to the point where fear controlled my thinking. It allowed me to believe things that weren't even true! What are you afraid of? Is it tormenting away from God's will? I've swallowed that poison in small doses throughout my life, but I am not going to let the devil have the last word in my life!! NO, way Jose!!! Satan is always going to bring fear against us at different times in our lives, but as I've so often been reminded of the verse I memorized as a little girl,  "...we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Rom 8:37)  

Fear does not have to control us!

When I was younger I was afraid to talk to anyone about my fears, it paralyzed me in some sense. I was embarrassed and scared to tell my mom that I was afraid to die. (I wasn't saved, but didn't realize it at the time, which explained my fear!) From hearing and reading the Bible, I have learned that fear is not from God.  Let's read II Timothy 1:7. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Remember when you were little, and you woke up from a scary nightmare or when a loud crash of thunder or lightning rumbled outside your window? I do!! I would always wake up and scream, "MOM!!! DAD!!!", while I hid under my covers and waited in hopes they would come RUNNING to my rescue, and if they didn't come within 5 seconds (felt like 20 minutes) I bolted out of my bedroom, down the hall and jumped into their bed as fast as I could! And I always cuddled as close to them as possible! I'm sure they felt my heart beating out of my chest! 💗Being near to them calmed my fears, but it didn't calm the storm outside. It didn't erase the nightmare I dreamt, but it did change the way I felt! (I usually always feel asleep in their arms but somehow woke up the next morning in MY bed! I never quite understood how that happened, it was always a mystery to me, until I finally had kids.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 hehehehe) The fear I had when I was alone in my bed was gone because mom and dad were there! This is exactly what our Heavenly Father does for us when we face fears, if we follow His word and believe what He says to be true! 

I can think of many people in the Bible who faced fears! Can you think of some? I would definitely say David and Joshua did when they stood in front of GIANTS! Jacob after he tricked his father and fled for 20 years in fear that his twin brother would kill him! Moses did when he had to stand before an entire sea!! Daniel did when he faced hungry lions!! Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did when they were cast into the fire! Jonah did when he was swallowed by a giant fish! Yikes! I can not even imagine any of those things happening in my life! What FEAR they faced! I love what the Prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 41 verse 10 - "Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." What?! God told us not to FEAR?! Really? It's so easy to fear, isn't it?! Especially the unknown! David said in Psalms 56:3 "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Growing up in a Christian home and attending a Christian school my entire life, I always heard and was taught that the Bible had the answers to all my problems. Now as a 36 year old, I can honestly say, YES, It does!! In order to face fears head-on, I MUST have confidence in the POWER of God's word!! God is so smart! He has given us a book that is more powerful than any two edged sword! If we choose to follow His word, it will help us to conquer the fears we face! When we continually allow fear to control us, it is most likely because we are not controlling our thoughts or because of unbelief in our life. Let's read Philippians 4:6-8 "Be careful for nothing (don't worry); but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." 

3 ingredients are listed in these verses that we need in order to expel the fear that so often cripples and dominates our lives: PRAYER, SUPPLICATION, & THANKSGIVING. If we are to pray the way God wants us to pray, we must include all 3 things! When we find ourselves worrying, we need get alone with our Saviour and pray by worshiping Him! Take a second right now to think about what you usually pray about. How much of your prayer life includes God? And how much of it is about you? Every time I pray, I want to first praise Him for who He is. (I'm far from being perfect in this area, but it is my goal) Worship Him by praising Him for Who He is! (He's faithful, He's everywhere, He's forgiving and gracious, He's the beginning and the ending, He is the greatest gift I've ever received, etc...) We  just need to spend time adoring Him! Our God is so BIG so strong and so mighty,  there's nothing our God cannot do!! We need to recognize His greatness and His power! He's BIG enough and STRONG enough and POWERFUL enough to solve our problems and calm our fears! From experience, I am so apt to run to Him with all my problems and to quickly rattle off all my needs and desires to Him when really, I first need to approach His throne with praise. So, the first thing we must do when we pray is to come to Him in adoration! The second is supplication, which is a sincere sharing of our needs, worries, problems, etc. God wants us to be completely honest with Him, to tell Him everything with wholehearted sincerity. Lay it all out for Him to see. Don't hide anything from Him. Thirdly, we must give thanks to Him.  As a mom, I so enjoy hearing my children say after cooking a meal for them, "Thanks, mom, dinner was awesome, you're the best!!" Wow, that makes my day! It makes it all worthwhile!! Let's not be quick to ask Him for things and then slow to thank Him! Remember the 10 lepers Jesus healed in Luke 17, and how only 1 returned to thank Him? Let's be like the minority, and be thankful and count our blessings! It's easier to focus on the negatives in life rather than to thank God and focus on His goodness!  Determine to be a person who is thankful and blessed!! I love when I ask someone how they're doing and they respond with, "I'm blessed!" It reminds me that I'm blessed too!! But I don't want SOMEONE to remind me that I'm truly blessed, I want to count my blessings daily before God and remind myself often of all the good things He has given me! After all, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17 

So these verses in Phillippians tell us not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything! God wants us to talk to Him about everything, even the little tiny things we face. That is our first step toward winning the war of fear!  We must realize that our heart (wrong feeling) and our mind (wrong thinking) are the 2 things that cause worry! Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Wrong thinking will cause us to worry! Our thoughts are so powerful!! And the Bible tells us we must bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ! (II Corinthians 10:5)  Paul helps us here in verse 8 by listing all the things we should think about as Christians. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, (Satan is a liar and wants to control us with lies, the Holy Spirit will control our minds with truth.) whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, (we shouldn't focus our thoughts and attention on dishonorable things) whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report (beautiful things, things worth talking about); if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (things that motivate us to do better. Don't focus on the bad things in your past or thoughts that make you feel worthless or make someone else feel worthless), think on these things." We must fight daily to have the right thoughts. We must daily choose to think on "these things". Our minds filter the good and the bad of what we hear, see, etc. It's so easy to find something negative or wrong, we won't have to look long before we find it! It's everywhere. So we must detect when wrong thoughts enter our mind. If we fill our hearts and minds with God's Word we will know when wrong thoughts enter.  Psalms 119:165 says, "Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them." We must daily renew our mind in God's word and meditate on it.  

So, when worries come, let's pray the way God wants us to! I know from my own experience that we do not do this enough!  We need to pray. Your money may run out, your health may be failing, your family or children may be in trouble, you may have nothing left in life, but you can always turn to God and He will be there!! That's what is so amazing about God. He comes to us exactly where we are and how we are! His grace is AMAZING! "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wrech like me..." 

Praying: No appointment necessary. You don't need to take a number like at the license bureau or the deli counter, and you won't get His voicemail, He won't put you on hold, you can speak directly to Him, and He will make Himself known to you!!  We can pray alone and in community with other believers. (Idea: Start a prayer meeting with your girlfriends or w/ other sisters in Christ that live near your home)  We can pray anywhere! He's anywhere we need HIM to be...even in the scariest moments of life! Don't worry, just pray!