'Fear Not' is what the angel said to Mary and the shepherds- easy to say, but it's hard to stop that fear welling up inside. Mary and the shepherds had every good reason to be terrified!!
Fear is something we all have to some extent. some fear is our body's natural response to danger and is a healthy protection. Other kinds of fear we experience is more due to our past experience or anxiety at what we anticipate might happen.
An acronym for fear is Fantasized Events Appearing Real. Often this kinds of fear inhibits us from being ourselvesand beeing real with others. We imagine and are afraid of judgment or disapproval from others, making a mistake, looking foolish or incompetent, appearing different etc and we don't say or do what is really in our heart.
We are created by God as being a unique ,special person,and yet we spend so much energy trying to blend in and seem like everyone else.
We can be fear and anxious about many different things, but God does not want us to live like that. recently I have become aware of how much fear I have inside , and how I am not putting my trust in God, but responding to the fearful thoughts. If you experience this yourself take encouragement from these verses of Scripture I read this morning.
Psalm 34 v 4
"I sought the Lord and He answered me- he delivered me from all my fears"
Psalm 22 v 4+5
"In You our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to You and were saved; in You they trusted and were not disappointed."
Psalm 34 v 8-10
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
Fear the Lord you his saints for those whofear Himlack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."
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