Pastor’s Corner: “Starving Your Fears”
You know if you feed your faith, your fears will starve. But if you feed your fears, your faith will. So we have to make an intentional decision during this season of high anxiety and turbulence to encourage one another and to feed one another’s faith. And also we need to take the initiative to feed our own faith.
I encourage you to don’t give into despair, don’t give into anxiety. We need to hear that God is still in control. We need to hear that it’s not over until He says so. We need to hear that life’s mishaps and tragedies are not a reason to bail out. They are simply a reason to sit tight.
Corrie ten Boom used to say, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.” Next time you’re disappointed, don’t panic. Don’t jump out. Don’t give up. Just be patient and let God remind you He’s still in control.
I think many people believe that Christ-followers enjoy a life and calendar full of Caribbean cruises. If you have been a Christ follower for very long you can attest that this is not true. Jesus said as much: John 16:33 (NLT) – 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. Jesus does not say you might, may or could have many trials and sorrows, He says you will. Christ-followers contract malaria, bury children, battle addictions, and, as a result, face fears. It’s not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It’s whom we discover in the storm: The Rock of Jesus Christ!
You may be down to your last paycheck, solution, or sliver of faith and each day seems to bring fresh reasons to fear. They’re talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, upswings in global warming, breakouts of violence and riots. Some demented dictator is collecting nuclear warheads, no sight to the end of the plague of our day. But Jesus doesn’t want you to live in a state of fear. Do you? Romans 8:38 (NLT) – 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Psalm 91:4-5 (NCV) – He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you can hide. His truth will be your shield and protection. You will not fear any danger by night or an arrow during the day. —
That thing that has you up at night worrying? God has it under control. The issue that is disappointingly unresolved? God is already working it out. Don’t be afraid! What can anything of this earth do to us when Jesus is on our side? What fears you’re laying down today?
Remember to feed your faith and your fears will starve to death!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton