How would my life look if I no longer struggled with _______?
What if I was completely free from ______ through Christ’s power…
WHAT IF I WAS COMPLETELY FREE FROM FEAR THROUGH CHRIST’S POWER ... If I was completely free from fear, I wouldn’t hesitate to stand before congregations or stadiums of people and share my heart. I wouldn’t stumble over my words … hearing the “self-talk” of my limited vocabulary, or lack of public speaking skills. I would head off to conferences by myself, even if they were hours away. I would fly all over the world and nothing could hold me back.
Can I just say I hate FEAR?!?!?!? I will find delight in seeing that demon cast into the lake of fire! Joyce Meyer said it right when she said FEAR was an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real! Logically I KNOW this is true. I can say that better than many. Panic attacks were NOT logical and the fear was NOT logical. I saw how satan took advantage of an open door and used a person’s lack of knowledge for his torment! I also learned the hard way that IF you don’t resist the devil, he won’t only STAY, but HE WILL TAKE EVEN MORE GROUND.
Trust me. I KNOW that I have authority through Christ.
I JUST NEED TO RESIST HIM IN ALL OF THESE LITTLE AREAS WHERE HIS IMPRINT REMAINS. It is like his nasty little fingerprints were left in my thoughts … and THOSE THOUGHTS need to be renewed. God’s love is perfect and somehow I need that deep deep revelation in my heart and mind. If I only had heart-knowledge of God’s deep love for me, then no residue could remain.
1 John 4:18 reads, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
I know every scripture on fear, trust me. I HAD to stand on God’s Word to rebuild what satan destroyed in my life and it was all I had to keep my sanity.
2 Timothy 1:7 declares, For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.”
As much as I hate to say it, there must still be some residue remaining. No panic attacks … just nasty residue from the many years of TORMENT. I don’t believe there is a spirit of fear oppressing me any longer, but it is the many years of thought patterns that must go through HOLY filters now.
Kim said that if fear wasn’t a part of her life that she probably wouldn’t recognize herself. I SAID THOSE EXACT SAME WORDS after a dream I had years ago. I dreamed that I heard the VOICE of God. It sounded like many voices in One. He listed several things to me — none of which I could remember, but after He finished — I WAS FREE. I mean SO FREE that I didn’t recognize myself any longer! I know that day is drawing close! Everything else in that dream has already come to pass!
I am glad Kim asked this question because it has stirred up a holy anger within me. It makes me angry when I see areas where the devil still makes me hesitate. Argh!
FREEDOM LORD. COMPLETE FREEDOM! Please give US ALL an overwhelming, deep understanding of your love. So much love that we can hardly contain it!
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I pray freedom over your life sweetie, love you.
Oh, my goodness, I so love your honesty! I struggled with fear too. I like my comfort zones!
Fear kept me from returning to college for 17 years! I didn’t think I could do it…I thought I would fail…but God told me to see myself through His eyes, not my own, and together the Lord and I are on the President’s 4.0 list at the university that I am attending. The good Lord and I have been on that list for the last 5 semesters. God is so good.
Beth Moore says we have to press through our fear and have courage to be what God calls us to be. I love Psalm 78. I’m so thankful that we are more than conquerors in Christ.
May God continue to use your testimony and triumph over fear to bless many people for His great glory. His fingerprints are all over your life!
Thank you Beth. It’s been a battle this morning. Fear attacking at such a force that in the spiritual realm I am bloodied, I am scared, I have fallen down….I will rest my spirit though in the arms of our Father.
That was a good one. Thanks for sharing.
Well said! I completely relate STRONGER than you know. It was the BIGGEST area of my life that I had to surrender to GOD for deliverance and healing to overcome.
Now, I constantly keep that emotional subjected to Christ and when it tries to come up and over power me I declare His word again. I was not given a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind!
Love you.
I used to suffer from panic attacks too, to the point where I could barely function. As it is a hormonal imbalance I needed meds to correct it.
But even with the meds, it was still a battle that I needed to turn over to Him and let Him fight it for me, because you have to take your thoughts captive (II Cor. 10:5).
I’m off the meds now but still need to turn to Him to fight my battles, all of them!
When I first saw your fill in word “fear”, I immediately wondered if you are doing the next Bible study with Lelia. It is on fear.
The devil’s attacks and tempations always makes me think of:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
From Jesus’ example, we can tell him “get away from me satan in Jesus’ name.” It’s not always easy and it doesn’t make our struggles go away but there is so much power in the moment with Jesus’ name.
Love,
Paula
Hey Beth…
I think I could copy and paste most of your post for my own post… Fear is paralyzing, and I too want to be free from it…
You mentioned a dream you had, and how it felt to be free… I didn’t have a dream, but once when dealing with another stronghold, I felt like for a brief moment I felt freedom from that stronghold (the issue was food), and it was the most beautiful, peaceful feeling that tears welled up in my eyes…it passed quickly, but it was like a glimpse of freedom… It was wonderful…
Thanks for sharing today… Kim
Much of what you say here seems like something I have said. Maybe not the same circumstances, but definitely the idea of FEAR controlling my life and actions. I teach about this in one of my classes. When I see the lights go on for my students in this area, I know God is with me. I truly believe that living under fear stops people from doing many things.
People fear that they will look foolish. I believe most fear comes from the thought of what other people might think of us should we step outside our comfort zone. Then I think of all that could be accomplished for God if that were not so. That has been such a waist of time in my life. I refuse to live my life any longer based on the expectations or under the watchful eye of another human being. The freedom came for me when I made a decision to worry more about how the Lord sees me than People. God is so good!
This was a good post Beth, thank you for your honesty. It helps others to see that they are not alone in the areas where the enemy takes root.
A truly anointed post, Beth! Thanks so much for sharing your heart with us.
Blessings…
Beth
That was great Beth! I just read a letter a Priest wrote to his congregation about fasting fear for lent. It was absolutely beautiful and spoke of how much more we would give of ourselves -time, resources, etc..if we didn’t fear. How much more we would love also…you have obviously come a long way, and just think of how much farther you will be a year from now! I am with you on this
Beth…all the way!
i wish i could tell you how glad i was to have stumbled here..
i read some of your posts.. and i feel so blest like with an old friend. Someone who love the Lord and COFFEEEEEEEE!
A new friend,
Silver
from One Day at a Time/ Reflections
I can fully relate to the anxiety, fear and panic attacks! I have battled with them and they controlled a season of my life too.
I have been delivered from the majority of them and now they are more situational rather than constant. I battled with feeling like a failure because deliverance didn’t come as quickly as I had prayed for. All in God’s time!
Keep pushing forward, girl!
I was over at Our princess with Pigtails and came across your blog and it’s amazing!!. I love your honesty!
You have a beautiful family too! Have a great weekend!
Blessings to you…
Hi Beth, thanks for your visit yesterday. Love your blog and your red is really pretty! I’ve struggled with some of the same things you have and God has always seen me through.
Thanks again for stopping by and your nice compliments! Kristen
Freedom from fear is one of the greatest battle we all struggle with. Fear is a tool that the devil uses to hold us back. God hath not given us a spirit of fear, so we know it can only come from the enemy. I struggled with worry and anxiety for a LONG time, but then someone told me fear is the lack of faith. I never forgot that. Thanks for this article!
Hi Beth!!!
Thank you so much for your condolences for Cwislyn. Amen to this post !! you share your heart in words and truth that I know will miniter to those who read it! Thanks for your openness and courage to share!!!. Yes he has not given us a spirit of fear, but of peace, Love, and a sound mind.
hugz Lorie
actually.. i could use a hug right now. An e-virtual would do too.
thanks for sharing the moment with me.
To be able for me to write these out is actually a sign that i am healing. If you read my first 3 posts (2 months ago) and Facing grief the best you can post- you will get the idea the goodness of God upon His children.
I shared some of the posts elsewhere free for some links. Apparently, there have been many who feel like this.. it’s a most awful feeling to be in.
Thks for your encouragement!