Stepping into Freedom

Good gosh. This morning has been rough.

From the moment my eyes opened when I woke up this morning, my heart has weighed heavy and consumed by feelings of despair. The " I don’t want to get out of my bed, can't stop crying, can't clear my brain because I feel totally, 100% defeated and crushed" kind of feelings. 

What force could have such power to debilitate a person to where they feel like they cannot see or think straight, that they cannot move forward, and that they have no hope?

fear |fi(ə)r|

noun

a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. whether it be real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

Fear.

We’ve all felt it, we’ve all been sucked under its current, we’ve based decisions off of it, and we’ve allowed it to become a part of our identity.

Fear calls us to hide and conceal—convincing us that unless we do that, we will be discovered and rejected. Its plan is to cause our vision to close in and focus solely on it-- on fear and on self.

Fear constantly asks, “What if"?

It comes knocking on our doors in moments of pure happiness and tries to convince us that this joy won’t last, that it isn’t real, and that it is sure to come to ruins quickly. It comes to us in moments of mourning and despair and whispers in our ears that we will never leave that place of sadness—that there is no hope of relief. It comes to us in moments of insecurity and magnifies it. Fear tries to convince us to believe that we are utterly worthless.

Well what is this  “fear”? Who is the source of it and how much power does it REALLY have?

Well first, I can tell you what fear is NOT.

1 John 4:18 says:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

So if fear is not love, than who is?

1 John 4:8 says:
“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

SO! Fear is not of God, in fact, God’s love is aimed at destroying it by casting it out.  According to 1 John 4:18, fear has to do with punishment—with doom. 

And who on Earth would want to make us feel that daunting emotion?

John 8:44 says this about the devil:

“He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

John 10:10 also refers to the devil as a thief who has come only to “kill, steal and destroy”.

The devil's purpose So now that the SOURCE of fear is established, how much power does fear actually have over us?

 Matthew 28:18 says:
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority under heaven and Earth has been given to me”

Then, in turn, Jesus gives US that same authority over evil when he says in Luke 10:18-19:
“....I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

That's just it-- He HAS no power! God has given us every resource, every weapon and every power to defeat and overcome the enemy—including fear.

Though it is an easy current to get sucked into and it can be so enticing to give into, fear is a lie. It lies about who we are, who others are, our future and how secure our hope is.

Again, fear constantly asks, “What if?”

But GOD asks: “What IS?”
What IS true about what I say about you? About others?

What IS true about your hope and future?
What IS true about who I’ve called you to be?

What is true is that

·      ~I have been fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)

·      ~I was and am fully and completely known before I even came into existence (Jeremiah 1:5)

·     ~ I am LOVED with a love that is forever lasting, relentless, and unending (Jeremiah 31:3)

·      ~God’s goodness will not stop (Jeremiah 32:40)

·     ~ The plans for my future are good, not aimed to cause me harm (Jeremiah 29:11)

·     ~ Because I am a servant of the Lord, no weapon or word formed against me shall prosper. (Isaiah 54:17) 
    ~  I have been called to be a part of a chosen people, a holy priesthood, and God’s OWN special possession and I have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)

The list goes on and on and on and on all throughout God’s word.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve allowed fear to dominate your thoughts, control your decisions and even make its temporary residence in your heart.

But God has called us to such a higher quality of life. A life not lived in fear of what *might* happen, the hurt we *might* experience, the decisions we *might* have to make, what the future *might* hold, exc. As God’s children we have been rescued and delivered from a life controlled by fear. In fact, we’ve even been called out of that life.

2 Timothy 2:7 says:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”


Galatians 5:1 says:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Yes, we’ve been called to freedom.

freedom |ˈfrēdəm|

noun

1. the state of being physically unrestricted and able to move easily.

2. the absence of subjection to foreign dominance

It is good to remember that THIS is the life we have been called to: Freedom. 

Freedom in Christ, who is He and who He has called us to be. Not a life held down and restricted by fear and by worries about what is to come, but a life lived without chains to move freely, wholeheartedly and unafraid towards the One whose love is ever perfect, and without flaw or failure. This ability, and privilege is found in the name of Jesus- and He has called you, and me, to be free. 

"So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." 
-John 8:36