Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. -Colossians 3:23
Trying to impress people will result in anxiety. A lot of the fear that I struggle to get past is typically involved with performing in front of other people. Though it seems like a really good idea to get up front and sing or speak for the glory of God, I can never bring myself to do so. Perhaps you can relate! I am going to suggest that the reason this type of fear exists, especially among Christians, is because people (myself included) are always trying to "impress" other people. The fear of making mistakes, sounding strange, and so on, is all wrapped up in the myth that it is the opinions of others that really validates a performance done to glorify God. But if someone does go out in front of a crowd to praise God, it really should only be about God. If a choir sings, they sing for God. If a preacher preaches, the sermon should be for the glory of God. Of course, it is important that the audience benefits and grows spiritually from the message being delivered, but again, the purpose of performance is not to impress. The verse at the top of this devotional urges people to do everything for God, not for people. If any type of service or performance is filled with love and cheerfulness, it will touch the hearts of those who experience it. However, if fear is mixed into the equation, the genuine nature of the performance suffers. I say this as much to you, reader, as I do to myself. Let's forget about trying to impress other people and instead do everything for the glory of God. Fear should never get in the way of the message that God wants to portray through the works of His people.
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Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10
Fear is the ultimate arch-enemy of faith. It is Satan's goal to cripple people, especially believers of God, with thoughts or feelings of doubt and anxiety. These things make it impossible to want to reach amazing achievements. Time and time again, the Bible confirms that fear is not an emotion given from God. "God gave us not the spirit of fear..." (2 Timothy 1:7), "do not be anxious about anything" (Philippians 4:6), and "do not be frightened, for the Lord your God is with you" (Joshua 1:9), are just a few texts that confirm the absence of fear in a trusting relationship with God. "But how can I eradicate fear from my life?" you may ask. Fear is forgotten when faith comes in to replace it. God promises that He will guide those who ask for His guidance. Chaos strikes when people try to control everything on their own. Moses, one of the most prevalent people from the Bible, initially had no desire to go and save God's people. He was afraid. When God told Moses that He will send him to Egypt to bring the Israelites out of slavery, his first answer was: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). And this was not his only objection! He continued to try to reject his calling. Despite his fear, however, God told him that He would "certainly be with" him. Because Moses let God take away his fears, he was able to lead 600,000 slaves (excluding women and children) out of Egypt. And it was not only Moses who was scared. Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman who became the queen of Persia, feared for herself and for her people when she asked King Ahasuerus to spare the Jews from the mass genocide that was being planned against them. Because of her God-given courage, they were saved. David, a shepherd boy turned king, took down a mighty warrior who threatened Israel and ridiculed God. No other man was able to do so. He relied on God, and though he often found himself in deadly situations, God protected him through it all. Joseph, a boy who was sold as a slave to Egypt by his own brothers, became second in command after Pharaoh himself, and saved many, many people from extreme famine. Imagine the unbelievable that you can do if you stop letting fear control you, and start letting faith guide you. Hello everyone :-)
I wasn't going to make any die-hard resolutions for 2017, mostly because they just never seem to actually motivate me, but I decided that this year, I wanted to introduce you guys to a new compilation of devotionals! My hope is that every month will be outlined by a new "word" that each devotional focuses on. Every Sunday and Wednesday, a new entry will be up. Last year, I chose a "word" that I wanted to define my actions throughout 2016. That word was fearless. If you were to ask me, though, I'm not sure that I would be able to name very many occasions on which I really conquered a fear of mine! This forced me to contemplate why being completely fearless was so hard. During what's left of the month of January, I want to take you all into this contemplation along with me. I will see you on Wednesday with the first "Fearless" devotion. God bless. |
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