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Overcoming Fear: The Empowering Benefits of Knowing God’s Love

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We’ve all heard people say, “If God is love, then why do bad things happen?” They seem to have difficulty reconciling life difficulties with a loving God. They are saying, “How does it benefit me if God is love and I still have to suffer?” In other words, “God is love, SO WHAT?”

There are numerous empowering benefits to truly KNOWING a loving God. The key word here is “knowing.” It’s only when we truly know God that we can recognize and experience His love towards us. This knowledge of His love is what empowers us, giving us the strength to face our fears and overcome them.

1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” Perfect love can only come from God; therefore, when you know God, fear is removed. This doesn’t mean we aren’t concerned or that we don’t wrestle with insecurity or anxiety. It means that because of our experiences with God in various circumstances, we KNOW that we can trust Him. This trust is what keeps our eyes focused solely on Him, not on what is frightening us. It helps us keep everything in perspective: God is greater and more powerful than whatever is causing our fears.

As Christians, we are not meant to live our lives in fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Tim 1:17). This power, this love, this confidence is what empowers us to live a fearless life. How do we tap into this power? How do we stay focused on the all-mighty God rather than the “what ifs” of life?

The answer is recognizing our fears and knowing the truths about God and how He is greater than our worries. With that in mind, let’s look at some of our concerns in light of God’s greatness.

The Fear of Failure

Let’s talk about the fear of failure. I’ve met too many believers who were so exhausted from their constant struggle with sin that they just gave up and settled for a defeated life. Can you imagine living in such a state? It’s not what God wants for us. He wants to give us freedom from and power over sin. He doesn’t want us to feel weak and helpless. So, simply giving up and giving in isn’t the answer.

I read of a baseball player who set the major league record for strikeouts with 1,316. This same player set a record for five consecutive strikeouts in a World Series game. The holder of both records was the great slugger Babe Ruth. His lifetime batting average was .342, which means his average of not reaching base was .658. He failed almost two-thirds of the time, yet he is known for what? Hitting home runs. He never gave up and is still talked about even though he retired almost 90 years ago.

When Satan attacks with the fear of failure, when he brings up all our sins, when he accuses us of our fleshly weaknesses, we need to run to God and let Him remind us of what He considers to be true about us. That is, God “has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault” (Colossians 1:22).

All our failures (yesterday, today, and tomorrow) were placed upon Christ when we put our faith in Him. Now, we live in an eternal state of forgiveness. No one, including ourselves, put the mantle of “sinner” back on us. We have been forgiven once and for all time; therefore, if a holy, sinless God can forgive us our failures, then who are we to not forgive ourselves?

The Fear of People

Next is the fear of people. Fredrick the Great said, “The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog.” People can be scary. They try to dominate, manipulate, and intimidate us, using these tactics to control us with fear.

Proverbs 29:25 warns us that “the fear of man is a snare” that will trap you and steal your hope for freedom. They will use their wicked maneuvers to guilt, scare, or browbeat you into submission. Usually, they do this because they are afraid of not being in control.

We cannot allow people to bully us to get their way. We cannot allow fear to keep us from being who God wants us to be. Paul asked the Galatian church, “Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (1:10). Paul never let his fear of what people could do prevent him from obeying God.

In Acts 5:17-33, the disciples are imprisoned because they were preaching about Jesus in the temple. God freed them from jail but instructed them to return to preaching in the temple. The following day, the temple guard discovered they had escaped the prison but were back preaching.

Upon their arrest, they were brought before the High Priest. The religious leaders wanted to kill them but ended up flogging and then releasing them. The disciples were not afraid of what happened to them physically. They knew the very instant they left this life, they would be ushered into Christ’s presence (2 Cor 5:8).

Jesus encourages us not to “be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10:28). People can harm your body, ego, and reputation; however, nothing they do can separate you from God’s love, plan, and salvation.

That doesn’t mean we go out with a chip on our shoulder. It does mean we confidently live life knowing what God KNOWS to be true of us!

The Fear of Troubles

Thirdly, there is the fear of trouble. Romans 5.1-5 says, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

Clearly, all troubles are not bad. Hebrews 12:7 tells us to “endure hardships as discipline.” Notice it doesn’t say hardships are discipline, but to “endure” or consider hardships as discipline. My son has a list of chores. They are not a form of punishment but are to teach him responsibility, character, and hard work.

God wants us to trust His plan when troubles arise. God promises in Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD you God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Jews took this verse to mean those without troubles were outside God’s will. The writer of Hebrews declared that God disciplines those He loves, so if you are not disciplined, then you are not legitimate children of God (12:5-11).

We may not like the discipline, but we must trust what we know about God—He is loving, kind, merciful, patient, perfect, and His plan for us will not be denied.

Focusing on our difficulties and trials can cause us to question God and eventually grow angry with Him for not helping us the way we want. There is nothing wrong with honestly talking with God about your plight. But in the end, we must be willing to submit to His sovereignty. Remember, God’s will and plan are what we would want if we knew all that God knows!

The Fear of Separation

Finally, there is the fear of separation. This is the accumulation of all our fears coming down on us at once. Fear that isn’t dealt with is like a giant boulder rolling downhill and about to crush us. It will eventually catch up to us, and the results will be devastating.

Undealt with fear obscures our vision of God. Why? Because we become myopic about our fears even though they are much smaller than our God! It’s like the moon blocking the sun’s light during an eclipse. The sun is 400 times larger than the moon, but when positioned just right, the moon appears larger and more dominant.

Our fixation on what frightens us makes it appear large and in charge. This means we must exercise spiritual maturity to remember, believe, and rest in the fact that God is in control regardless of our finite view.

There are several ways to overcome fear. First, call out to God. He already knows, but tell Him what’s happening and how you feel. Don’t try to hide your feelings from Him. He knows everything, so just be honest with Him. There is something about being vulnerable, transparent, and sincere that helps us move from fear to faith.

Next, quiet your spirit and thank God for being there with you. Spend time praising Him for His past help and how it will help you get through your current crisis. Then worship Him for who He is: holy, righteous, gracious, merciful, loving, forgiving, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, omnibenevolent, and so much more. The Bible declares that God inhabits His praise, so when we praise and worship Him, HE SHOWS UP!

Another thing you can do is read Romans 8:31-39. “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What can separate us from God? NOTHING!

Lastly, remembering the cross is the best way to calm our fears. There is no more extraordinary proof of God’s love for us than the giving of His Son as an atonement for our sins. It is impossible to see Jesus rejected by His own Father because of our sinfulness and not feel God’s overwhelming love for us. If you find yourself doubting God’s love for any reason, go to the Gospels and read the passion narratives. Look upon Christ’s wounds and remember they were necessary for your forgiveness and future home in Heaven.

The fear of separation is real, but if we take the proper steps, we can confidently face our fears because we know, have experienced, and are assured of God’s love, presence, and plan.

Whom Shall I Fear? GOD!

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Sunday I asked the question, “Whom Shall I Fear?” The answer is God. Jesus warned us, do “not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10.28 NKJV).

Many try to limit the “fear of the Lord” as just having a reverent sense of awe toward God. I agree we should revere the Lord, humble ourselves before Him, and tremble in His presence. However, this should not lessen our view of God as the omnipotent, omniscience, and omnipresent God of all creation. He declares what is righteous and holy. He has determined what is and is not acceptable. He commands and demands our obedience to that which He has declared holy.

When we lack a sense of fear toward God, we will find ways around His laws, commands, and ordinances. We will convince people truth is relative. We will give them the freedom to do what feels right and follow their own convictions, just so long as what they are doing makes them happy. By following this advice, we make ourselves god. We are wise, can decide right and wrong, and we can declare whatever we want to be right, just, and holy.

In twenty-first century America, we are way too sophisticated to worship wooden, clay, or stone idols. However, when we put ourselves in the place of God, we have enthroned a ruler who only pursues lust, envy, jealousy, and selfishness. We only seek that which fulfills our every desire. There is no longer room in our lives for a God whose commands leave us feeling guilty and inadequate.

Therefore, with broken and contrite hearts, we must avoid fashioning God into our image. We must remember we are sinners before a holy God. The following quote from a Charles Spurgeon sermon in December 1874 puts it this way:

Man fashions for himself a god after his own liking; he makes to himself if not out of wood or stone, yet out of what he calls his own consciousness, or his cultured thought, a deity to his taste, who will not be too severe with his iniquities or deal out strict justice to the impenitent. He rejects God as he is, and elaborates other gods such as he thinks the Divine One ought to be, and he says concerning these works of his own imagination, “These be thy gods, O Israel.” The Holy Spirit, however, when he illuminates their minds, leads us to see that Jehovah is God, and beside him there is none else. He teaches his people to know that the God of heaven and earth is the God of the Bible, a God whose attributes are completely balanced, mercy attended by justice, love accompanied by holiness, grace arrayed in truth, and power linked with tenderness. He is not a God who winks at sin, much less is pleased with it, as the gods of the heathen are supposed to be, but a God who cannot look upon iniquity, and will by no means spare the guilty.

This is the great quarrel of the present day between the philosopher and the Christian. The philosopher says, “Yes, a god if you will, but he must be of such a character as I now dogmatically set before you”; but the Christian replies, “Our business is not to invent a god, but to obey the one Lord who is revealed in the Scriptures of truth.” The God of Holy Scripture is love, but he is also possessed of justice and severity; he is merciful and gracious, but he is also stern and terrible towards evil; therefore unregenerate hearts say, “We cannot accept such a God as this,” and they call him cruel, and I know not what besides.

Sermon of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Heart-Knowledge of God,” December 6, 1874.

It is not for us to define God in a way that is more palatable. God has declared who He is, who we are, and how we are to live. Let God’s Word lead you, and you will find the life of which you have always dreamed!

Can You See Me Now? (Part 3)

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Over the last few days we have seen how God reveals Himself through creation as well as through His Holy Word. Today, we are going to look at a few ways God not only revealed His personal nature to us but how He demonstrated it for all to see.

In Hebrews 1:1 we are told “God…has in these last days spoken to us by His Son [Jesus].” It is in the life of Jesus that we get a perfect picture of what God the Father is like. Colossians 1:3 says Jesus “is the image of the invisible God,” while Hebrews 1:3 tells us Jesus is the “brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person.” Jesus made it clear in John 14:9 that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father. Therefore, when reading the Gospel accounts of Jesus, we are getting a perfect representation of the Father in heaven.

When we examine the life of Jesus, we are immediately drawn to His concern for all people. It didn’t matter if He was approached by a Roman centurion, Samaritan, tax collector, lawyer, a rich or poor person, He always had time to answer their questions and share with them their deepest need. He didn’t let someone’s social standing or checkbook balance determine their importance. Every person counted regardless of their ethnic background.

He was also concerned for people who were considered dirty by first century standards. Jesus wasn’t afraid to touch a leper, heal those that were sick from various diseases, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to those who were mute, restore the strength of those who were crippled, provide food for the poor, and love those considered to be unlovely. He didn’t recoil from anyone regardless of their condition. He reached out past their affliction, all the way to their heart, and healed them from the inside out. After all, it is the sick who need a doctor, and Jesus came as the great Physician to heal the hearts of the spiritually sick.

Jesus also came to teach us God’s expectations. He taught us that all of life is to be lived by loving the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. He set the example of loving others and putting them first.  He told us He did not come to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). We demonstrate our love for our Father in heaven, whom we have not seen, by loving our neighbor who we have seen. As we have already said, Jesus demonstrated this kind of love.

In Jesus we see the Father. We see His compassion, unconditional love, passion to know us and be known by us, forgiveness for even the most vile human being. In Jesus, God reveals His nature, character, integrity, righteousness, and holiness. Jesus is the exact representation of the Father in heaven.

For some, God seems like an uncaring creator who allows us to suffer way too often. For others, God is our grandfather in the sky who spoils us by giving us everything we want. Neither of these views of God are true. He loves you and came to earth in the form of Jesus so that we could know exactly what He is like. If you really want to know more about God, then start reading one chapter a day from the Gospels. Work your way through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament over the next ninety days. While you are reading, pay careful attention to Jesus. Ask Him to reveal His nature that you might know Him better.

“Can you See Me Now” Part 1

“Can You See Me Now” Part 2

Can You See Me Now? (Part 2)

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The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. It has been translated into more than 2,000 languages. You can find it on cell phones, computers, coffee tables, fireplace mantles, as well as a microfilm copy which was taken to the moon on Apollo 14. It has been carved in stone, written on animal hide, papyrus, paper, and I have even seen a chapter tattooed on someone’s back. Needless to say, the Bible is a very popular book to people all around the world.

Unlike other popular books, people do not purchase a Bible to be entertained. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. It is within the pages of the 66 books of the Bible that we find out about God–His love, mercy, compassion, patience, grace, forgiveness, power, beauty, majesty, and so much more. Page after page we see the Creator reaching out to draw His creation into a loving relationship with Him. The Bible teaches us the commands of God, not that we can live up to them, but that we might see His holiness and righteousness and realize our need for His forgiveness. We see His hand of provision, protection, and providence constantly before us tenderly caring for His precious children.

Too often in my life I have performed my daily Bible readings and crossed that off my list of things to do for that day.  I have been so busy reading the book of God that I have missed the God of the book. Through a series of events this became crystal clear to me, so I decided I needed to change. Now, before I begin reading the Bible I ask Jesus to reveal Himself to me in Scripture. As I read I want to see more of Christ that I might know Him more.

As you take time to read your Bible today, please ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you.  Ask to see His character, integrity, honesty, holiness, righteousness, mercy, compassion, grace and other attributes. Don’t read the Bible to see if you are measuring up. Read the Bible to see Christ and then worship Him!

“Can You See Me Now” Part 1

“Can You See Me Now” Part 3

All I Want for Christmas is to be Searching Like the Shepherds

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And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:8-15 ESV)

During this time in history, shepherds spent months away from their families tending sheep.  Most people looked down on shepherds and considered them way down in social status.  Since God’s Son was coming to be the Good Shepherd, God saw shepherds differently.  God sent an angel to them to announce the birth of the Savior of the world—Christ the Lord.  This child would grow up to be the sacrificial Lamb of God.  The shepherds were told where to go to find the Messiah and to expect “a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  To make sure they understood the importance of what was happening in their midst, God allowed them to witness a group of angels praising God for this event that would bring peace to men. After this, the shepherds left their sheep and went in search of the Savior.

This year for Christmas, I want to be searching like the shepherds.  Each day I want to be looking for the Savior to return.  He could come back at any time, and I want to be ready.  I want my life to look like that of the life Jesus lived while here on earth.  Others know when you are searching for the Savior because it shows in your life.

You search for the Savior when you serve others as if you were serving Him.  Visit those who are in the hospital and away from family.  Take snacks or gift-cards to the local Ronald McDonald House, purchase children’s games and donate them to the children’s hospital— regardless of what it is, do something for those who are going to be away from home this Christmas.

Search for the Savior at your local John 3:16 Mission, an assisted living center, the Baptist Home for Children, Big Brothers and Sisters of Tulsa, or any place—a visit, card, or gift would be a pleasant surprise.  Just showing that you care will be the best present you could ever give.

We search for the Savior by spending time in the Bible to see just how God has revealed Himself to us.  We take what we learn from Scripture and demonstrate those godly attributes to the rest of the world.  Let people know that the reason for your kindness is because of God’s great love for them.

This year, all I want for Christmas is to search like the shepherds.  The Savior of the world wasn’t exactly what they expected, never-the-less, they searched and searched until they found Him.  In searching for the Shepherd, I might find people to serve who don’t look much like Jesus; however, He taught us when we help those in need we are really helping Him!