Do Not Worry
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This world tells us that fear, anxiety and worry are to be expected. But God tells us not to worry, or to be anxious, or to fear, etc., but to rejoice and thank the Lord in every situation we face. This is how we live in the victory Jesus Christ provided for us through His suffering, death and resurrection!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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. Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
We can be filled with joy, peace and thanksgiving as we make our requests, knowing that our God loves us and is pleased to take care of us in every situation!
Anxiety, Worry, Fear = Doubt
Anxiety, worry and fear do not belong in the Kingdom of God. They are symptoms of doubt, working against the love and peace God desires for His children. The Lord is not angry with us if we find ourselves worrying, but worry and fear must be dealt with like a temptation. The devil wants us to doubt that God is really a perfect Father, protector and deliverer. If our faith is in the thing we fear instead of in the Lord, we cannot live in the victory Jesus Christ died for us to enjoy. So, when fear attacks, redirect your faith right away! Take those worries to the Lord like a little child, and leave them there!
Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 GNT
Fear of Persecution
As the Gospel is proclaimed around the world in greater measure persecution may intensify in some areas. The enemy would like to cause our love to diminish because God’s love is at the core of the Gospel. If he can attack our love for one another we will not walk by the Spirit. The spread of the Gospel will be hindered.
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake… Philippians 1:27-29 NKJV
One sign that believers are walking by the Spirit is genuine, grace-filled love for everyone– accompanied by truth of course. Remain seated with God in the heavenly realms (Colossians 3:1-4) where the atmosphere is filled with grace– even as we face trials of many kinds on earth. If we walk in unity by the Spirit we will be able to joyfully share the Good News of Jesus!
Our Father Takes Good Care of Us
The best dad in the world cannot compare to our Father in Heaven. God is love (1 John 4:8) and is the source of all genuine love. So, if a good dad desires to take good care of his children’s needs, imagine how much God wants to take care of us! Trusting and obeying our Father like a little child is the key.
No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:24-27 NLT
Earthly Expectations
Worry and fear can come from trying to live up to the expectations of family, friends, authorities or culture. When we fear being shamed by others it’s because we don’t understand that we are fully loved and complete in Christ. Jesus didn’t have to have the affirmation of others because He had the affirmation of His Father. And now, we have been brought to the Father through Jesus!
Faith in God’s grace is faith in God’s love and acceptance. But when worry leads us to trust in something or someone other than our Father, that “something or someone” then becomes our master. It owns us and enslaves us. Worry and fear are not of God and must be crushed!
The fear of man brings a snare, but one who trusts in the Lord will be protected. Proverbs 29:25 NASB
If our minds are fixed on the earthly realm, trusting in our own abilities and reasoning to stay protected, we will live in fear. But we dwell in the shelter of the Most High! We can trust fully in God because He desires to take good care of us! (Psalm 91)
Trust in the Lord
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP
To trust the Lord is a choice we must make many times a day. The Bible tells us to take every thought captive to make it obey Jesus Christ. We must demolish the thoughts that don’t belong. (2 Corinthians 10:5) The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do that.
It may be a long journey, but God is with us to help us, and one day that anxiety will no longer be there. Submit to God, resist the devil’s lies by dwelling in God’s love and truth, and the anxiety will flee! (James 4:7) Don’t ever give up!
Negative Self-Prophecy
Job (pronounced Jobe) was a good and prosperous man. Even though Job was trying extra hard to do everything right, his world fell apart through tragedy and disease. He had been trying to earn God’s mercy and favor by doing good works. Living like this causes fear, worry and anxiety.
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. Job 3:25 NIV
Job’s fear was a symptom of his lack of faith in God’s love, mercy and grace. He and his friends viewed God as a as a father that required perfection, ready to punish every mistake. Job’s desire to please God was driven by fear of judgment. Satan ripped Job’s blessings away, leaving him with lots of questions.
Full of frustration and confusion, Job demanded to speak with God. The Lord came and spoke with Job, revealing His great love for all His creation–especially for mankind. Job was overwhelmed and repented of his pride. His relationship with God was no longer one built on fear of punishment but on God’s redemptive grace!
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. Job 19:25 NIV
Job embraced God’s goodness and humbly prayed for his friends. He knew God personally now and was convinced that there was no reason to fear. God had a plan to redeem him from his fallen state! For the rest of his life, Job was driven by the grace of God– not by fear. God restored Job’s health and blessed him in every way– not because of anything he had done, but because of his faith in God’s grace through the Redeemer!
Do Not Worry About Eternity– Know Jesus!
“Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:1-7. NET
Jesus is the way to the Father, the truth we walk in by the Spirit and the One who has brought us from death into eternal life! Our sins are forgiven! And though we have not walked with Jesus in the flesh like His 12 disciples did, we know Him by the Holy Spirit. There is no reason to fear or to worry. God loves us! One day our Redeemer will stand on this earth again. Jesus will take His own to Heaven to be with Him forever! Praise the Lord and rejoice in His wonderful promises!
Healed
