THREE WAYS TO OVERCOME FEAR|Daily Devotion: Day 206
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Day 205 of our Devotional was about the need to first conquer your fear, if you are going to win any battle. But some may be wondering: “Ok. I know I should conquer fear. But I constantly deal with fear. I get frightened easily. How do I overcome the fear in my heart?” Today’s message will address this question. Our prayer is that the Lord will set you free from fear. We have identified three ways by which you can overcome fear, for good. Before we go into that, let’s say a thing or two about today’s Scripture reading from 2 Timothy.
During our new birth in Christ, the Lord gives us a new spirit – the spirit of sonship by which we cry “Abba!” (cf. Galatians 4:4-7). That spirit, the Bible says, is not a spirit of fear. The spirit God gives us is a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Therefore, as a Christian, you shouldn’t be timid or be dealing with the problem of fear. That said, if fear persists, there may be other things happening which need attention. We can’t go over all the possible causes, but based on what the Scripture teaches, we have identified three ways (not the only ways) one can overcome fear. They are as follows:
- Live righteously, and keep your heart from evil. Sin generates and fuels fear. But if you do what is right and keep your heart blameless and your conscience clear, it releases the boldness of God in you. Listen to what the Holy Spirit says in Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked [i.e. sinners] flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Righteousness before God releases power to overcome fear. See also Proverbs 1:33.
- Ask the heavenly Father to fill you with the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you cannot at the same time be filled with fear. The Holy Spirit in you will make you fearless. But take note: He will not make you reckless. Some people mistake recklessness for Holy Spirit boldness. The Holy Spirit makes you bold, but He also makes you sober and wise. In Luke 11:13, Jesus says that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. So, go ahead and ask.
- Pray for boldness. You may face situations which can threaten your peace and sense of security. But you don’t have to be afraid. Ask the Lord to give you a spirit of boldness. He will do it. Facing a difficult situation and being afraid of the situation are two different things. You may not be able to stop a problem from happening, but you certainly can decide not to be afraid. In Acts 4:23-31, the disciples asked God to give them boldness in the face of threats by the Jewish authorities. You, too, can pray for boldness and the Lord will answer you. He wants you to live free from fear.
May the Lord remove every root of fear from your life and cause you to live in His peace. Amen.
For further study: Psalm 91:1-16
Higher-Self Realities 