Years ago, I returned home from a two-week mission trip to a house overrun by fleas. It seemed that our dog, Quimby was a mobile hotel and taxi service for untold numbers of tiny, winged terrorists infesting our home.
But, I didn’t see the fleas at first. When my family mentioned that the dog might have fleas I shrugged it off.She’d had fleas before and we dealt with them pretty quickly. Besides, after two weeks in hot humid Central American weather, I figured that the fleas could wait until I’d had a shower and a good night’s sleep.
When I sat up in bed the next morning, I noticed something hop across my comforter. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a flea. There was a flea in the bed with me!
I hopped out of bed and tried to block all thoughts of how many fleas jumped on me overnight. I made myself stop thinking about how many may have crawled in my mouth. According to one urban myth, people may swallow up to eight spiders a year during their sleep (Note: This is not true, but I still try real hard to keep my mouth shut when I sleep).
Our fears in life are a lot like my dog’s fleas. Left unaddressed, our fears can quickly multiple and overtake our life. One fear about your health can quickly multiple into other fears about your finances, the future or other fears. There are times when we are going to be afraid and we don’t need to beat ourelves up. But, what we can’t do is let fear become an infestation in our hearts and minds. If you’ve been overwhelmed by fear, today’s post is for you. Even if you have just a few fears, keep reading. Just like one flea can quickly turn into hundreds, so can unchecked fear.
Do you know that the Bible has over 300 verses stating “do not fear” or “do not be afraid”? Why? I believe it’s because God knows that our broken, uncertain world is tough to live in. Emergencies will happen. Bad news will come. Questions will be unanswered. It’s natural to feel afraid at times, but God wants to remind us that we don’t have to LIVE in fear.
One of my favorite “do not fear” verses is Isaiah 41:10 NLT: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
That’s good, isn’t it? Look at that verse. The reason that we don’t have to fear is because God is with us. What else does God say that He will do for us?
Here’s something to remember today: God is bigger than your biggest anxieties.
When God tells you not to be afraid, His character is the reason why. It is God’s faithfulness, His power, His love andHis strength that hold you secure in when everything is shaky around you. When we forget God or don’t believe that God is big enough, fear will show up and dig in.
In order to kill Quimby’s fleas, I had to find a weapon powerful enough to not just cripple, but kill those winged creatures. We can take the same approach to slaying our fear.
Are you ready for a practical tool to do this? I’ve shared it before and I’m going to do it again because it’s a tool that I still most many days of the week.
God-Morning/God-Night Technique
- Take a notecard and write two or three “do not fear” verses on both cards.*
- Put one card by your bed and tape one on your bathroom mirror.
- Read read those verses first thing in the morning and read them again at night. You can also carry the card with you during the day.
Focus on God when fear creeps in. Let God win your worry battle! We can kill off fear and worry when we concentrate on God’s powerful Word!
Here are some verses that you can choose from: Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 56:3-4, John 14:27, Hebrews 13:6
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: What worries battles have you been fightng lately? Do you have a favorite “do not fear” verse that helps you to focus on God?
Have you ever tried to fight worry with faith and felt you were losing the battle?
Check out Barb’s Bible study, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. In this six-week study on the book of Joshua, you’ll learn how to fight in faith and scripture-based new tools to overcome your daily struggles and the bigger battles of fear that we all face! (Leaders’ guide and teaching DVD available separately.)
