Many people struggle with all sorts of fear. Fear, though, does not come from God. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). God offers soundness of mind from the power of His love and truth. Fear comes from believing and trusting in falsehoods.
RELEVANCE
Fear took root in the Garden of Eden. Look at their conversation with God. Notice how it was after Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree that fear gained a foothold. They believed the lie of the serpent and fear began to dominate their thoughts and behavior.
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:8-11)
Fear comes with shame. It locks us into a grip of the adversary, the devil, who will go to all ends to paralyze us with fear—the opposite of faith, which comes from God. Truth also comes from God. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
REFLECT AND RELATE
Where you have fear, meditate on what falsehoods may have grabbed hold of you. Think about where and how that falsehood may have been planted. It probably went way back to when you were young.
REFERENCES
Genesis 3:1-13