I was driving to meet some friends for breakfast the other morning when this thought crossed my mind, "Our struggles lead us to either fear or faith." I'm sure it's not an original thought, but nonetheless, it is true.
I have several people close to me, right now, that are struggling with some very hard stuff; thus, the thought process above. As I stand on the outside looking in, I'm watching to see if their struggles are producing fear or faith?
Fear is not of God. Fear is from Satan. How we move from fear to faith is the process of letting go and trusting God. It's realizing that we are not in control and trusting the One who is. The building of faith begins when we face fear head on. It's believing and proclaiming, "Fear has no hold on me; Jesus is Lord." When we have a spirit of fear, we do not have the spirit of faith.
Fear and faith cannot coexist.
Faith is from God. When we find ourselves living in fear, we first have to acknowledge that we've allowed it to seep into our minds. The battle ground is the mind, and Paul says in Romans 12:1-2 that we have to
renew our minds which means change our thinking. Faith trumps fear.
" When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose Word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4 NIV) David was battling fear with faith. He knew in whom he trusted, but using his "shield" of faith helped him overcome his fear. Speaking Scripture aloud makes fear flee faster
(try saying that 10 times). Believing that God is for us, His children, is the first step to overcoming fear with faith. The more we trust our Savior, the more our faith grows.
When we fight fear with faith, Jesus is magnified and fear is defeated!
I've come to learn through my own struggles that the more steps of faith I take, the easier it is to trust that God is faithful, and that He has me covered with His mercy, love, and grace. He knows the days He has planned for me; He created me in my mother's womb.
(Read Psalm 139) He even knows the number of hairs on my head.
(Matthew 10:30) I have a Savior who will never leave me or forsake me.
(Hebrews 13:5) I have no reason to fear when Jesus loves me that intimately and endlessly.
God is love. He is our hope. He is the Author and Finisher (Perfecter) of our faith.
(Hebrews 12:2)
The phrase A
uthor of our faith means that Jesus ignites our faith. It is ignited when we believe that Jesus Christ is who He says He is, we confess our sin nature to Him, repent of our sins, and allow Him to be the Savior and Lord of our lives. This is the beginning of our faith walk.
Our faith will be complete when we see Him face to face. When we arrive at the feet of Jesus in heaven, we will not need faith anymore. Thus, He's the
Finisher of our faith.
The journey in between our igniting and arriving is called our Christian walk. It's doing life with Christ. Sometimes, though, during our walk, our faith is interrupted by fear and confusion, and we have to do battle. The Author and Finisher of our faith will NOT let us go. He holds us in the palm of His hand. He will protect us from harm. He says,
"I will never leave you, nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
So as we go on our daily faith walk, we must choose who is leading our thoughts; the author of fear and confusion, or the Author and Finisher of our faith. How will you respond to the struggles in your life? Though I know struggles are hard, I pray that you will conquer fear with a
greater faith in Jesus Christ.
My Pleasure,
Melanie
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