Courage in the Face of Fear

Where are you being lead?

I have been living with more fear than I care to admit. My pain and fatigue issues have been crazy. Doing my daily bible study helps me greatly. Today I was lead to scriptures that deal with courage. I needed to counteract the fear that was trying to push its way in.

The war is in the mind

I love the song "Courageous" by Casting Crown.

In the war of the mind I will take my stand

So many times I have felt guilty for still living in fear. I thought I was being a "bad" Christian because I was not completely trusting God's plan for my life. What I realized is that there is a constant war going on in my mind, and I must continually choose who will win the battle. The choices are simple though not always easy. 

Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? (Romans 6:16)

Each time I feel fear creep up, I have a choice to make. Will I obey my fear and let it overshadow everything good in my life, or will I obey and trust God's Word.

Don't be afraid, for I am with you.

   Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

   I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

When I choose God, amazing things happen. I immediately feel more hopeful, peaceful, happy and stronger. Perhaps not physical strength, but mental fortitude. By choosing to believe God's promises, I feel better equipped to handle the storm raging inside my body.

Who will you serve?

You have a choice to make. You need to decide who you will believe, because that will determine who you will obey. You may think "it's not all that black and white". Truly, it is. Otherwise, our minds are divided and we spend our days going around the same fears and struggles over and over again. Until we make a stand and purposely choose to believe God, we are leaving ourselves open to attack. It is also not a one time decision. I must choose daily, sometimes hourly, to trust God's plan.

Doing battle

I used to bite my nails. I used to smoke. No matter how much I wanted to be free from these habits, it was a battle to deal with them. I still battle with my issues of using food for comfort (something I thought I had conquered but it has reared its ugly head again). I used to think I had to do it on my own.

Do you feel like you are battling against things in your life? We must remember, that we are not in this fight alone!

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (Ephesians 6:11)

Satan will try to keep you in fear because that keeps you in bondage. It's time to break those chains and become warriors! We can have courage in the face of fear. We can stand firm, through our faith in God.

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Dear God, thank You for always being there for us, to strengthen us and keep us safe from the devil's schemes. We have the ability to put on Your full armor every day. Help us to do our part and then stand still and watch You go to battle for us. Then our victory will be for Your glory, and we will sing Your praise! In Jesus name, Amen.