Replace fear with faith
A wise man once said, “What you focus on grows large in you.” There has been hyper focus in this season on statistics about this COVID-19 virus. There are special channels available to take in more news about the disease than you could possibly absorb. The information tidal wave seems to come toward us, wave after wave, with no end in sight. While it’s good to be informed on things you need to know to be safe and diligent, it’s not good to feast at the table of bad news hour after hour.
We believe that the more we know, the less fearful we will be. That’s not entirely true. After binging on bad news, it’s almost impossible for fear not to grow in you. Watching hours and hours of news is not going to protect you more; that’s Jesus’ role in our lives – as our protector and strong tower.
I watch and read the news mostly so that I will know how to specifically pray, but it doesn’t take that many minutes before I know all that I need to know to pray for God’s healing and deliverance. Reading the statistics of contagion in New York yesterday tempted me to begin to worry – until I just turned to Jesus and began asking for His hand to move in healing the people affected there.
When I begin to get anxious – I stop and pray. It seems too simple to be effective, but Jesus gives peace to us that the world can’t. The Bible says that we don’t have because we don’t ask… so in this season, I’ll ask Jesus for peace whenever I am nervous about how this will end.
To activate faith and hope, we need to remember who our God is.
The other way that I get back to faith from fear is by rehearsing the ways God has been good in the past. Retelling stories of his healing, his faithfulness, and his provision causes hope to rise. You can recall the way He has moved in your life and in the lives of others. Listen to the testimonies of others and read of God’s faithfulness in the Bible. God is the one who we need to put our hope in – not in anything else. He is the one who never leaves us or forsakes us. God is the one who sees us and who provides for our needs. He is our healer.
Finding Power in Music
I have learned that the power of a song can also turn your heart from fear to faith. One night I was stuck in a snowstorm on a back road in the mountains and I was gripped by fear as my car slid back and forth near the edge of the road. Being 1990, I put the cassette tape in, and a song called “When You Are a Soldier” came on. Immediately my heart was stilled. Sure, it was the early 90’s and Steven Curtis Chapman had a sweet mullet haircut, but the song landed and Jesus delivered peace. If you want to go back in time, and listen to When You Are a Soldier.
This morning, my sister sent me a link to a more current song that has had a similar impact on me called, “Out of Hiding.” Since we are on a “lockdown” of sorts in these days, I think that this song might be a blessing to you today. It will bring truth and perspective that will bring faith in these days of fear.
I encourage you to take time this week to ask God to give you faith in the place you are afraid.
If you missed last Sunday’s message on the Culture of Prayer, click here to listen to the podcast or watch the video.
