NEW COLLECTION: A HOPE-FILLED YEAR
Fear is the enemy of hope (see Hope Health Check post), it immobilises us and robs us of our inheritance and destiny as children of God. In addition, according to Harvard Medical School, 'anxiety (which is a manifestation of fear) has now been implicated in several chronic physical illnesses, including heart disease, respiratory disorders, and gastrointestinal conditions.'*
To walk in faith and hope we have to deal with the issue of fear. (Obviously I’m not talking about the healthy fear which keeps us safe, or the biblical fear of the Lord.) Fear is actually a different sort of faith—faith in negative outcomes, faith in lies presented by the Evil One, faith in an adverse future. Once we see that fear is actually a form of faith, it sets us free to choose to believe in something positive rather than in something destructive. We choose to put our faith in God who is good, and who is good to us all the time. Fear attaches itself to mental pictures, often related to past experiences. Perhaps we have a memory of a time when finances were tight, and then push that picture onto our future, fearful that it will be like that again. Perhaps the image of an embarrassing social situation experienced in the past dissuades us from accepting invitations in the present. Or perhaps previous experiences of failure are making us fearful about the year ahead? These fears are bondages which stop us living life to the full. Sometimes these mental images are caused by news items or television dramas. Living in a fallen world, we are surrounded by negative images which the Evil One can use to create fearful pictures on the screen of our minds. It is impossible to totally shield ourselves from these, without retiring to the desert, but we can take steps to protect ourselves from their destructive consequences.
Fear is the enemy of hope, it immobilises us and robs us of our inheritance and destiny as children of God. To walk in faith and hope we have to deal with the issue of fear...
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These are the steps I take:
TIPS FOR STAYING FREE
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