The Mrs. Rev Podcast: Choose Faith
With everything that is going on in the world today, it is easy to choose fear. Especially when trouble seems to be getting closer and closer to your family. As Christians, we have to know that this is the plan of the enemy! He wants us to operate in fear and abandon what God has called us to do and who He has called us to be.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:25-27
In this verse, Jesus commands us not to worry. When Jesus commands us to do something, we have a choice in the matter. But worry and fear want to make you feel like you don’t have a choice--that things are too bad or too uncertain.
Still, the moment you realize that you can choose not to worry, you feel empowered to overcome worry and fear. You have a choice to meditate on the Word of God and live in freedom! Even though the world around us is a crazy place, you can choose to anchor into faith in God and His Word. Operating in worry and faith both take energy. Which would you rather choose?
There is a place for you to live in peace even in a fear-driven world.
Q: What do you do when you start to feel anxious, fearful, or worried? What kinds of activities increase these negative feelings? What activities help you walk in faith and peace? Look at your schedule and find ways to increase your time doing the activities that build your faith!
Here are three things that fear does to you:
Fear cripples and overwhelms you
One of the enemy’s greatest tricks is fear and intimidation. The enemy doesn’t want this year to be your best year yet. The enemy wants you to believe that because of what's going on in the world today, it will be impossible for you to reach your goals or see an accelerated harvest, but God will take the situation and turn it for your good. His Word says so! (Romans 8:28)
If you are riddled with fear and intimidation, …. The enemy also loves isolation. If you are isolated in your home in fear. When you operate in faith, you acknowledge that you might not be able to control the outside circumstances, but you can choose to make your home a place of joy and make your life a demonstration of your faith.
Choose to guard your mind and think about what you are going to let in. Turn off the news and spend time in the Word. Don’t try to see ahead to next week or next month. Take it step by step in faith.
2. Fear makes you forget who you are
If it’s not in God’s word, it’s not true for you because you are a covenant child of God.
The enemy wants you to forget who you are in Christ. When you see crazy things going on in the world, the enemy wants you to believe that it will happen to you too. But that is not the case! You are protected by the power of God because you belong to Him. Get into the word and find scriptures to meditate on that will remind you of God’s promises for you. You are more than a conqueror in Him!
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:36, 37-39
3. Fear makes you unstable.
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:7-8
Faith and fear cannot coexist together. If the enemy can get you to doubt God’s Word, he can stop you from obtaining God’s promises by faith. Maybe you do not have a problem believing that the Word of God is true. Maybe the enemy is trying to tell you that it’s not true for you because you yelled at your kids or fell short in some other way. That is not the case! God is a forgiving and loving God.
Choose to meditate on the goodness of God and His Word. When you do, your faith will grow and will keep you rational and steadfast.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. … Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:4-8
When you guard your mind, you guard your peace.
We need to be women of fear not just for ourselves, but for our family, our children, our home, our friends and church. There are people who will be directly impacted by how you choose to respond to stressful and fearful situations.
Pray this: Father, thank you for being with me through every situation. Help me to lean on you in every situation and refuse to let my mind focus on fear. God, today I am choosing faith. I am choosing to believe that my family, my finances, and my health are all safe with you, and that no matter what is going on in the world around me, I do not have to give in to a spirit of fear. I praise you because I know you are good, and I love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen!