NO FEAR THIS YEAR

“NO FEAR THIS YEAR”

by Pastor Mark Taylor

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear”. (1 John 4:18).

Fear is the opposite of faith.  After forty years in the wilderness, Moses told Joshua and the people of Israel not to fear.  They were going into a new land and face new opportunities.   "Be strong and of good courage, and fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6).  Keep positive about your future.  Remember we were saved by faith and we live by faith.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

To get rid of fear of what might happen this year, get rid of negative thoughts and speech. I would encourage you to cast out your fear by using words of faith.  Instead of complaining and expecting the worst, speak affirmatively about God’s ability and God’s love for you.  “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”. (Ephesians 5:19). 

 Read and quote verses from the Bible to yourself. “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

Someone has said: “If you always do what you have done, you will always get what you always got”.  Some people get caught up in a cycle of doing the same thing over and over again and they will continue to get the same results.  Some people find themselves in a cycle o  bitterness, and fear.   Forgiveness can break the cycle of blame and pain.  The most common Greek word for forgiveness means, literally, to release, or hurl away, or free yourself.  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear”. (1 John 4:18).

Another thing that will get rid of fear this year is to keep the strife out of your life.  We all have different personalities and temperaments and approach issues in different ways.   Get rid of pettiness, division, and discord.  Make a decision that your are going to make the necessary adjustments so you can live a more peaceful life. “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16).  Removing yourself from strife can improve your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Remove yourself from the drama that other people are creating around you.

When you are always worried about what someone else is thinking about you, it is a type of fear. Don’t allow others to intimidate you and cause you to fear. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalms 27:1). Most of the time people are not thinking about you and you. Don’t listen to those who want to tell you about how bad things are.

When you compare yourself with others, you are limiting the Lord from using you to your best ability.  You may fear that you are not as good as someone else.  The Bible says this type of thinking is wrong.  “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Feeling like you are the victim and blaming others for failures in your life will not allow you to put your past behind you. Change your response to failure by accepting responsibility.  To move forward today, you must learn to say good-bye to yesterday’s hurts, tragedies, and negative events.

Overcome fear by planning for a better year.  God has put dreams into all of our hearts.  We have to go beyond just believing things can be better.  We need to start making plans to improve our health, finances, relationships, and spiritual growth.  Your faith needs to move in a positive direction.  Keep your vision in front of you instead of your fear.  Talk to yourself and others about good health, getting out of debt, and better relationships.   Read your Bible more, pray more, read encouraging books, watch positive TV programs, listen to uplifting music, attend church more and you will begin to see the Lord doing amazing things in your life.  “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice” (Psalms 55:17).  

Begin by making a list of your dreams, goals, and aspirations and areas you want to improve in.  Ask the Lord to give you wisdom on how to accomplish them.  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).  God wants to give you the ability to solve your problems.  He wants you to have peace about your present and about your future.  “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

If you never go through struggles you cannot experience hope or patience.  

If you are not doing anything today for God or your Church, you need to get into a ministry and struggle with others.  It will bring you friends that will last forever.  Struggles and difficulties will show you how God has delivered others and how He uses others to help us when we need help. “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10).

One of the greatest things about God is that He continues to work with men and women despite their own limitations and failings.  Too often they do not allow God to complete what He starts within them.  The Lord Jesus wants to finish what He has started in you.  “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”  (Philippians 1:6).

Don’t be afraid to start over.  Fear will bring procrastination and eventually stop you from overcoming failure. If you have the Lord Jesus in your heart, He will help you start over. “But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27).

Let us move forward this year without fear.