Erasing Fear From Your Life

Fear is a powerful emotion that can paralyze and hinder you from living a full life. It usually has no logic attached to it and shows up in many different ways.

There was a time in my life when I was afraid of almost everything. Fear was my middle name.

I know that I am not alone. Most people live their life with some level of fear.

Many have a fear of the future.

Others have fear of being alone.

Some have a fear of failing.

Yet others struggle with the fear of their needs not being met and/or a lack of basic necessities.

Then there is a fear of animals or the fear of flying, and I could go on and on.

What is fear and how do you erase it from your life?

I believe fear is a learned attitude that is developed at a very young age. A person becomes a fearful person because of some childhood traumas.

For example, I became a fearful person because I grew up in an alcoholic home. I grew up in an environment where life was very unpredictable. I never knew when my father would lose his control because of his drunkeness. I was often afraid because  sometimes my dad was a happy drunk and sometimes he was an angry drunk. We never knew which mood he would be in.

I often felt insecure and helpless.

Although my dad is now a recovered alcoholic, growing up feeling vulnerable like this made the world seem like a very scary place.

It doesn’t always have to be a family dysfunction that kicked in your fears. It could be something else that triggered anxiety deep within you.

My journey of overcoming my fears began only after I received Jesus Christ into my heart.

I came to Christ with a heavy baggage, full of paranoias, worries and anxieties.  All of these affected my ability to trust God.

It is impossible to have true intimacy with God if you live in fear.  This is because the opposite of fear is faith. (Tweet this)

It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit and through the power of  God’s Word that I was able to face my deep rooted insecurities head on.

1.  Face your fears by strengthening your faith in Jesus Christ.

There are many Scriptures to help you conquer your apprehensions. One of my favorites is 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

This is but one of the many verses written in the Bible to remind us of the warriors that we are in Christ Jesus. Stand like the soldier that you are, put on your full armor of God and fight the battle against fear.

God is by your side and He will fight with you. There is nothing that God cannot fight for you and through you (Romans 8:38, Matthew 19:26).

You must believe what God says in His Word.

Memorize Scriptures. Carry them in your heart always.

Use the name of Jesus to give your faith encouragement.

When you are in a moment of panic, if you even whisper Jesus’s name you will find strength. His name has power in it.

When my husband and I were separated, there were nights when I would be convinced that someone had broken into my house. The fear of a robber being in my house would begin to rise up within me and my fear would start to paralyze me. I remembered that in  John 14:13 Jesus says “ask for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  So, in those fearful moments, I would manage to whisper only His name, “Jesus.”  Every time I would repeat Jesus’s name I found that  I would gain more confidence and that my fears would disappear.

2.  Be aware of your thoughts. It is often your own thoughts that contribute to your fears.

Our thoughts can exaggerate or magnify reality. What we make up in our mind will propel our fears and take us away from all logic and truth.

You have to seize your thoughts and re-place them with the facts.

For example, why was I so sure that someone had broken into my house? It was because I had allowed myself to believe that the noises I was hearing were footsteps or sounds of a door opening. The truth was what I was hearing was normal creaking noises that an old house like ours makes.

What we watch, what we listen to and what we read are also fear triggers. Be wise in your choices in these areas.

It also helps to focus your thoughts on God’s plans for your life.

I had to train my thoughts to obey what is God’s truth about me and my life. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 it says that we are to take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Because God is good, He has a good plan for your life. He has plans to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

3. As Christians it is critical to know who you are in Christ.

When you understand who you are in Christ you can be so much stronger and able to conquer your fears.

This means knowing that you have a mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

It also means knowing that the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world (1 John 4:4).

Since we are God’s children, we are His heirs (Romans 8:17).

There are many more Scriptures to help you understand your authority and power in Christ Jesus (click here to read some more Scriptures). I suggest you read these truths from God’s word and meditate on them.

Except for fear of the Lord, fear is an enemy. But remember that God has given us authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19).

As followers of Jesus Christ we never have to walk in fear because God (perfect love) has already cast out all fear (1 John 4:18).

My dear brothers and sisters, whatever you are facing right now you can stand strong in Christ.  Jesus is with you to help you face and battle your fears.

He died for you so that you would live in freedom.

You can let go of your fears and trust Jesus Christ with your entire life.

Leave me a comment below on what may be the cause of your fears? Do you believe that with the help of Christ you can face any fear?

“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.“~ Luke 10:19

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Photo Credit 2: Google Images