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The most frequent command in the Bible is \u201cdo not fear.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> Yet it rarely seems that simple. Learn how \u2013 with God\u2019s help \u2013 you can overcome your fears and move forward in faith.<\/span><\/p>\n Are you often overwhelmed with feelings of foreboding . . . even when things are going well? Do you frequently find the muscles in your neck tightening and your stomach churning when in unfamiliar situations or places? Fear is like a chain around your heart\u2014it paralyzes, entraps, and enslaves. Discover how to move from fear to faith\u2014from panic to peace. Understand the love and power of Christ in your life as you depend on Him for strength and help in every fearful situation you face.<\/span><\/p>\n A moderate sense of fear may be considered normal, even healthy. It may\u00a0be simply an awareness of impending danger\u2014a defense mechanism. It\u00a0may be just the pounding heart, flushed face, and sweaty palms in\u00a0anticipation of being called on in class or being asked to make a speech at a\u00a0meeting. Fears may be in reaction to imagined or real circumstances. They\u00a0can be acute or chronic. Many fearful people tend to infect others with their\u00a0anxieties and tensions.<\/span><\/p>\n What role does this emotion play in your life?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Immobilizer or energizer \u2026 foe or friend?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>What you do in the face of fear identifies its role in your life. Instead of being paralyzed, allow your fear to move you to entrust your life to the Lord. Come to see the Lord as your only place of safety. He promises that He will not only be with you and He will also lead you through your frightening worries. Whether fleeting or chronic, God will be with us through His Holy Spirit as our Great Comforter every step of the way.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Isaiah 43:1-2<\/span><\/p>\n “Among the thousands of people mentioned in the Bible, Gideon is selected by God to be one of the few in His famous \u201cHall of Faith.\u201d<\/em> Now, this \u201cHall of Faith\u201d<\/em> found in Hebrews chapter 11, illustrates the power of living by faith and highlights the true heroes of the faith.<\/span><\/p>\n Gideon\u2019s transformation from being fearfully timid to being fearlessly triumphant is evident in the book of Judges, as Gideon and his small army conquered the mammoth army of the Midianites.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Instead of retreating from fear, this once meek man became the \u201cmighty warrior\u201d<\/em> God called Him to be. The mighty man of valor. Well we can all live the life God called us to live. That means we can be free of fear.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Peter 5 says, \u201cHumble yourselves, under God\u2019s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n (Proverbs 9:10)<\/span><\/p>\n Fear can be your foe or your friend. When you find yourself in the path of a frightening storm \u2013 whether figurative or literal \u2013 it can be a paralyzing force spiraling you down into the depths of darkness \u2026 or a propelling motivator moving you to higher ground.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>As the storm approaches, fear can be like a deadbolt lock keeping your mind confined \u2026 or like a loud alarm warning you to move to safety.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Living with a fear-based mentality or with\u00a0<\/span>a spirit of fear is not from God.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n