This acrostic has circulated its way through the Christian community for years.
By definition fear is an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; a painful agitation; anxiety; loss of courage; intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.
The EVIDENCE is that we currently face a devastating economic environment; high gas prices, mortgage foreclosures, global stock market instability, failing banking institutions, company closings/layoffs. And ...it would be easy for us to fear.
But the TRUTH of the matter is that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (1 Tim. 1:7) In fact, He promised to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. Never have the righteous been forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. That being said, we can not afford to operate in fear.
Fear attacks the thought processes to keep us from trusting God and His Word. It attempts to cast doubt on the precepts and promises of God; paralyzing us and hindering us from moving forward in the will of God and the work that God has established for us to do.
We must learn to recognize it for what it is; FALSE EVIDENCE. The enemy would have us to look at our circumstances and situations outside of the context of who God is. He tries to distract us by both the enormity and frequency of negative circumstances, to cause us to loose our focus from our Father. Fear is the opposite of FAITH. We can't react to what we see, and hear taking place in the world, without subjecting it to what God has said in His Word. We have to walk by faith and not by sight.
Romans 5:4 says that we glory in tribulation; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience, and experience hope. We can't allow difficulties to cloud our judgment and decision making processes, but have to learn to rest in our relationship with God.
We have a blessed assurance in Christ, and can be confident that he will never leave nor forsake us. We are hidden in Him and He lives in us. We are children of the Most High God; not moved by what we see, but by what He says.
Feel free to post a comment and let me know how you are holding fast to your faith. And remember, don't be a victim of fear, but be an overcomer in Christ!
written by:
Terry P. Kilgo, Associate Pastor GFCC
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