HOW TO CHOOSE FAITH OVER FEAR

March 24, 2023

Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;
For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.
Proverbs 3:25-26

1. SINCE GOD HAS NOT GIVEN YOU A SPIRIT OF FEAR, YOU DON’T HAVE TO RECEIVE IT. If you are a Jesus-follower, God has given you a spirit of faith (2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Corinthians 4:13). Faith is the opposite of fear. Fear is dread; Faith is expectancy. Fear is foreboding; Faith is anticipation of the positive. Fear is terror; Faith is trust. Fear is full of worry; Faith is full of wonder. Every day we can choose the spirit of faith and reject fear.

2. SEE YOUR LIFE THROUGH THE LENS OF FAITH. Focusing on the bad report stimulates fear. It’s what traps people in a place of anxiety where they are seized and can’t obtain the prize. That doesn’t imply we’re to ignore the problems. In the Old Testament, Joshua and Caleb saw everything their companions saw when checking out the promised land—the strong people, the fortified cities, and the giants. But instead of viewing it through fear or limitation, they viewed it with faith and chose the good report saying, “we will surely overcome it” (Numbers 13:30).

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

3. BUILD FAITH BY SPEAKING OUT GOD’S WORD OVER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. When we confess God’s Word, it takes faith from being just a concept and activates it in our lives (Job 22:28; Mark 11:23). Let today be the day you shift away from giving power to any spirit of fear and instead fix your hope on the living God. Get tethered to His Word and promises. Put your roots down deep in Jesus, the Solid Rock. And when the winds blow, the waves crash, and the rains come, your life will stand because it’s built on solid ground (Matthew 7:24-27).

DAILY CONFESSION:
God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. I reject fear and declare I am full of faith because God is on my side. I am full of peace. Since I have received a spirit of faith, I speak to my mountains, and they must move. I’m full of power because Jesus lives in me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The joy of the Lord is my strength. (2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:31; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Mark 11:22-23; Philippians 4:13; Nehemiah 8:10)

Press on!
Pastor Jeff Perry

con·fi·dence, noun
A belief or conviction that an outcome will be favorable. Belief in the certainty of something

^{Copyright © 2023 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Confidence.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, HarperCollins Publishers. Accessed 22 Mar. https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=confidence&submit.x=73&submit.y=24.}