Pine Baron
06-16-2023, 06:13 AM
Good morning all. I learned a long time ago that the things I worry about very rarely come about. Sometimes, I'm my own worst enemy. Have a safe and blessed day.
Confront Your Fears
by Dr. Robert Jeffress
[Cast] all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
–1 Peter 5:7
The final Spirit-quencher we are going to look at this week is worry. Worry quenches the Spirit’s peace in our lives. When we become paralyzed by worry or fear, we cannot move forward in what God is leading us to do. So how can you keep from being overwhelmed by fear? First of all, determine the source of your fear. Sometimes God will give us promptings about things in our lives we need to take care of–for example, He might prompt us to call the doctor or to check our finances. If we obsess over these promptings instead of acting on them, it can turn into fear.
Sometimes fear just comes from fatigue. Think about Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Right after the confrontation on Mount Carmel, he became overwhelmed with fear and ran from Queen Jezebel. Finally, exhausted, he asked God to take his life. But after Elijah slept and ate, he gained a new perspective. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap–and when you wake up, things will seem different.
But Satan is responsible for much of the fear in our lives. I say that because Satan is a liar (John 8:44), and much of the fear we face is based on things that never turn out to be true. Several years ago, I was flipping through my past spiritual journals, in which I had written things I was praying for and things I was fearful about. And I started laughing, because not one of the things I had feared came to pass. Isn’t that just like Satan? He wants you to worry about things that have no basis in reality. That is why you need to determine the source of your fear. Is it simply fatigue? Is it a prompting from God that needs to be acted on? Or is it the enemy attacking you?
Second, decide to confront your fear. If it is a legitimate concern, act upon it instead of stewing over it. If you need to make a doctor’s appointment, pick up the phone and make it. If you need to do something about the growing distance between you and your mate, sit down together and talk about it. Do not put it off or obsess about it. Go ahead and confront your fear.
Finally, deliver your fear to God. In 1 Peter 5:7, the apostle wrote, “[Cast] all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” God’s shoulders are broad enough to handle even the biggest concerns in your life. Give you fear to Him instead of letting it overwhelm you.
What is the antidote to the Spirit-quenchers of worry, greed, bitterness, and immorality? Obedience–doing what you know you need to do. God has given you the desire and the power to change whatever attitude or behavior is quenching the Spirit’s power in your life. Change it today, and watch the flame of God’s Spirit begin to burn brightly in your life again.
Confront Your Fears
by Dr. Robert Jeffress
[Cast] all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
–1 Peter 5:7
The final Spirit-quencher we are going to look at this week is worry. Worry quenches the Spirit’s peace in our lives. When we become paralyzed by worry or fear, we cannot move forward in what God is leading us to do. So how can you keep from being overwhelmed by fear? First of all, determine the source of your fear. Sometimes God will give us promptings about things in our lives we need to take care of–for example, He might prompt us to call the doctor or to check our finances. If we obsess over these promptings instead of acting on them, it can turn into fear.
Sometimes fear just comes from fatigue. Think about Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Right after the confrontation on Mount Carmel, he became overwhelmed with fear and ran from Queen Jezebel. Finally, exhausted, he asked God to take his life. But after Elijah slept and ate, he gained a new perspective. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap–and when you wake up, things will seem different.
But Satan is responsible for much of the fear in our lives. I say that because Satan is a liar (John 8:44), and much of the fear we face is based on things that never turn out to be true. Several years ago, I was flipping through my past spiritual journals, in which I had written things I was praying for and things I was fearful about. And I started laughing, because not one of the things I had feared came to pass. Isn’t that just like Satan? He wants you to worry about things that have no basis in reality. That is why you need to determine the source of your fear. Is it simply fatigue? Is it a prompting from God that needs to be acted on? Or is it the enemy attacking you?
Second, decide to confront your fear. If it is a legitimate concern, act upon it instead of stewing over it. If you need to make a doctor’s appointment, pick up the phone and make it. If you need to do something about the growing distance between you and your mate, sit down together and talk about it. Do not put it off or obsess about it. Go ahead and confront your fear.
Finally, deliver your fear to God. In 1 Peter 5:7, the apostle wrote, “[Cast] all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” God’s shoulders are broad enough to handle even the biggest concerns in your life. Give you fear to Him instead of letting it overwhelm you.
What is the antidote to the Spirit-quenchers of worry, greed, bitterness, and immorality? Obedience–doing what you know you need to do. God has given you the desire and the power to change whatever attitude or behavior is quenching the Spirit’s power in your life. Change it today, and watch the flame of God’s Spirit begin to burn brightly in your life again.