............................................................................................................................................................
Anxious No More!
by David Cerullo
Excerpt
from Anxious No More! by David Cerullo.
Set Free from
Unhealthy Fear.
It’s crucial
for you to discern the difference between healthy and unhealthy fear.
For example,
it’s a good fear that keeps us from driving 120 miles an hour down the freeway,
from standing too near the edge of a cliff, or from placing our hand on a hot
stove. This kind of fear is God-given and helps to protect us.
However,
there’s another kind of fear that comes from Satan.
Instead of bringing us wisdom and safety, it’s designed by the
enemy to place us in bondage. Often this satanic kind of fear is completely
irrational: “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the streets!’” (Proverbs 26:13).
And the writer observed: “The wicked flee when no one
pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs
28:1).
How sad to be
terrified when there’s no actual danger!
Paul described another dimension of fear when he wrote, “God
has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Notice that the Lord never sends us “a spirit of fear.”
So where would
such a spiritual attack come from? From the devil and his minions!
Just as God
sends His angels as ministering spirits for our benefit, so the enemy sends his
demonic forces to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
Instead of
blessing our lives as the fear of the Lord does, this kind of fear only brings
us bondage.
Ironically,
when we have a healthy, God-given fear, it protects us from the demonically
inspired fear that brings spiritual paralysis.
The Father
calls us to holiness and a hatred of evil. He wants us to have a holy respect
that moves us to purity and obedience. Instead of leading us to bondage, this
is God’s way of leading us to supernatural peace and freedom.
As a believer,
you have been liberated – set free!
As King David joyfully sang, “I sought the Lord, and He
heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
Isn’t that
beautiful? As we draw near to the Lord and enter His awesome presence, we’re
delivered from our fears!
How does our
Heavenly Father dispel our fears? By showing us His love.
The apostle
John wrote about this process:
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in
love. We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John
4:18-19).
Are you
experiencing this great love from your Heavenly Father today – the love that
dispels all fear?
If so, you can
rejoice that your Daddy is constantly available to protect and comfort you.
Instead of bondage, you can walk in glorious freedom: “For
you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15).
Don’t Give
Satan a Foothold
Although Satan
has no right to torment you in any way, it’s important for you to avoid opening
the door to his attacks.
Paul warned
about this, saying you shouldn’t engage in attitudes or actions that give the
devil a “foothold” (Ephesians 4:27 NIV).
There are three
important reasons fear should have no place in your life:
Fear Denies the
Truth of Scripture.
The moment you
allow earthly anxiety to determine your behavior, you are in direct conflict
with the Word of God.
The writer of
Hebrews pointed this out:
God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you.”
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not
be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV).
Because of His
promise to faithfully be with you through every trial, you don’t have to be
afraid of anything.
Even if you must walk through “the valley of the shadow
of death,” He has promised to be with you and give you His protection
and comfort (Psalm 23:4).
Resolve today
that you will replace fear with faith and anxiety with action.
Believe God’s
Word when it says Jesus has been given all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew
28:18).
Our God reigns (Isaiah 52:7,
Revelation 19:6), and He desires only the best for you.
Fear Harms the
Temple of God.
The instant you were born again, the Almighty miraculously took
residence in your body: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and
that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Since your body
is now God’s temple, you must not permit anxiety and fear to invade.
Medical
research has proven beyond doubt that worry can cause heart trouble, high blood
pressure, ulcers, stomach disorders, and more.
If fear is
damaging your body, that means it’s also hindering God’s purpose for your life.
It’s one of
the “weights” you must cast off if you’re to run with
endurance and fulfill your calling in the Lord (Hebrews 12:1).
Fear Hinders
Your Christian Testimony.
Jesus challenged His followers, “Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in
heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
When you allow
fear and anxiety to gain a foothold, the light of Jesus is diminished in your
life. Instead of seeing His glory and grace through you, the surrounding world
just sees a worrier.
Never believe
the devil’s lie that worry is inevitable. Nor should you fall for his common
argument that anxiety is an inherited trait from your parents, something you
have no control over.
When your eyes
are fixed on Jesus, you can experience great peace even amid the fierce storms
of life.
Although it’s
understandable that you would take every human precaution to shield your family
from danger, never forget that God is your only true source of complete safety.
His Word affirms that, through faith, you “are kept by the
power of God” (1 Peter 1:5).
In difficult times, you can declare with the psalmist, “He
shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall
hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5).
My friend, no
matter what you’re going through today, your Heavenly Father wants to give you
victory.
In His great
kindness, He stands ready to forgive your past, heal your troubled spirit,
strengthen your faith, and cast out all fear.
No longer
should fear or feelings of inadequacy rob you of your peace of mind. No longer
must you remain paralyzed from stepping into God’s highest will for your life.
As you learn to put your trust in Him each day, you will be shutting the door
on anxiety once and for all.
In every
situation, confidence can rise in your heart.
However, this confidence won’t come from a reliance on your own
ability, for the Bible says “we should not trust in ourselves but in God”
(2 Corinthians 1:9).
The only way to
have unshakable confidence is to trust in God’s faithfulness to carry out the
promises in His Word.
When everything is shaking around you, you’ll be able to rest
secure that “we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Hebrews
12:28).
As the apostle Paul reminded us, we are sufficient because
of his sufficiency: “Not that we are sufficient of
ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is
from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).
Isn’t that
great news?
Our sufficiency
is never in doubt, because it comes from our all-sufficient God, the great I
Am!
Order your copy of Anxious No More! by David Cerullo
David
Cerullo is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Inspiration Ministries,
located in Indian Land, South Carolina – a ministry dedicated to impacting
people for Christ worldwide through media. The son of international evangelist
Morris Cerullo, David took a less traditional approach to ministry, graduating
from Oral Roberts University with a degree in business administration and
management. He has authored over 20 books, and operates a global media ministry
that powerfully impacts the world for Christ. More from
David on Inspiration.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment