Becky Crenshaw

I’ve watched fear creep in.

As a thief in the night sneaks his eerie shadow through the back window, so has fear crawled its way through the back door of his innocent mind.  My nine-year-old.  My sweet boy.

Fear is afflicting him.

I hear it in his voice.  He questions noises upstairs.  He visits my bedside at 3am, concerned about the wind tapping his window.  I hear it as he double-checks my closing the garage door when we pull off of our street. He wants to make sure I locked the house before we left.

FEAR.

It can captivate a child of God.  At any age.

Fear cripples God’s people.  I see it over and over and over and over again.  Arguably the most debilitating of all spiritual bondages.

I say this because I battle it myself. I have to put up my dukes against this crippling affliction.  Fear of car accidents.  Fear of illness. Fear of failure. Fear of financial ruin. Fear of cancer. Fear of man.

Fear of __________.

How would you fill in this blank?

What do you fear?  

Are you like my Grant, startled by bumps in the night?  Or are your fears far worse?  Where does this thief sneak in the back window of your thoughts and violate the security we have in our Protector, Christ Jesus?

Today let us set the record straight. Fear. Is. Not. From. The. Lord.

For the Lord does NOT give us a spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7

Period.

But how do we pull out the big guns when fear rises up against us?  Debbie, my mentor, once said something that is forever burned in my memory. A quote that couldn’t be any more true….You ready?  It’s good.  Get a pen…

“We will always serve what we fear.”

Told you. Good.

I check my heart against this wisdom.  Where am I motivated by F.E.A.R. – False Evidence Appearing Real?

Or am I motivated by my reverent fear and awe of the Creator of Heaven and Earth?  Fear of the King of Kings who had the motivation and love to remain nailed to a cross and take on every sin I commit?

What do we do with our unhealthy fears?  I am asking this question because I am about to have “Battling Fear 101” with my nine-year-old today.  I want to equip him to deal with his fears.  I want to teach him how to replace the lies he hears on his pillow at night with the TRUTH that can set him free.  What will I say to this little guy?

We will start here.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things…PRACTICE these things, and the peace of God will be with you. Philippians 4:8 & 9

Paul had to instruct the Philippians not to be anxious.  To pray. To petition the Lord.  Why?  Because he wanted them to maintain the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).”

The Philippians battled fear, too.  We aren’t alone. Paul made point to address these fears in his letter to them.

Paul encouraged them to PRACTICE thinking on the right things.

 The things of God.

We must renew our minds, not only daily, but momentarily, to God’s Word.  Whatever is pure. Whatever is lovely. Whatever is excellent and worthy of our praise…PRACTICE thinking about these things.

Think (logizomai) in the Greek has such depth.  Read this carefully with me…

1) to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate 2) by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer 3) to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on 4) to determine, purpose, decide

Oh me…You know I can’t pass up a good ‘ol reckon!

God couldn’t have made this any more appealing to my country girl roots.   When FEAR comes creeping, I best be reckoning up all the reasons I have nothing to fear.  I need to practice meditating on the goodness of God, and determining that He is for me.  I must decide, every moment that He is with me.  My Healer. My Protector. My Comforter.  My Provider.

I must take into account His Word, and be reckoning its infallible TRUTH.  And God’s infallible goodness to those who love Him.

Listen, I reckon it is best not to fear.  But to walk by FAITH. Which pleases God.

I reckon.

So today, when I sit my boy down to discuss this, we will make a list of all of his fears.  Every single one of them.  And we will draw a line straight down the center of the page and combat it with the TRUTH of God’s Word.  I want to equip him to meditate on the opponent TRUTH to his F.E.A.R. (False-Evidence-Appearing-Real)!

And like Paul says, let the “peace of God guard his heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” I reckon.

So.  I will most certainly report back on this.  I want to show you what we did and how the Lord directs our time.

Are you struggling with fears today?  Is the enemy all dressed in creepy black, sneaking his lies through the back window of your mind?

Well, he doesn’t know what he’s up against, I reckon.

You’ve got the Word of God in your corner.  The Spirit of God living in you, at your defense, reading to slay every lie and take it captive.

Oh, I am excited.  Fear is no match for my God.

We are well equipped today, Beloved.  And I am fired up about it!

I reckon.

Reflect and Respond

• What areas of F.E.A.R. afflict you the most?
• Take time to write out a list of them all on one side of a piece of paper.  Maybe in your journal.  And begin searching Scripture for its opponent Truth.  It is there.  Email me if you need help finding it.
• PRACTICE replacing these fears by thinking of whatever is good, noble, lovely, commendable, etc, and let the peace of God guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Power Verses

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy stronghold.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of Fod and take every thought captive to obey Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:4&5