Pastor’s Corner: “Feeding Your Fears or Faith?”
Romans 10:17 (NIV) – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Which is growing in your life; your fear or your faith? Our fears matter. Did you know that what you fear the most reveals where you trust God the least? Ultimately, our fears show how we’re relying on our own efforts and not trusting in our Savior. The truth is we — you and I and everyone — are always inadequate. We’re never enough. We’re always weak. But here’s the incredible thing: When we’re weak, God’s power is made perfect. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Your greatest fear may point you to your best chance at making a difference in the world. This has been the case in my life. Believe it or not one of my greatest fears is speaking in front of a group. The fear of looking foolish, not being good enough and of failing on full display in front of a group was paralyzing to me. I avoided it at all costs. Years ago before I was called into ministry I remember looking at our Pastor and saying to myself that I would never want his job. God has a great sense of humor. When God called me into ministry, I had a choice between faith and fear. I told the Lord that I was inadequate and ill-prepared. He told me I was not going to do it, but that He would do it through me and He has been more faithful to that promise than I could ever imagine.
You need God for every moment of every day. Everything you do of value is born out of His heart, His power, His grace. To please God, to serve Him, to honor Him, to live for Him, you cannot be driven by fear. You must be led by faith. The pathway to your greatest potential is often straight through your greatest fear. Faith will propel you forward.
So I ask the question again: is fear or faith growing in your life? Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death. Feed your fear and your faith will starve. Both our faith and fear cannot grow simultaneously. God created all of us with an appetite, both physically and spiritually. So, the question becomes, what are we hungry for? Until our spirit is filled with Christ, our appetite for things of the world will only grow but never be fulfilled.
How can we feed our faith and starve our fears? Faith feeds on the Word of God. Romans 10:17 (NIV) – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. God made it so that our faith works much the same way our bodies work. He designed us to require daily nourishment. So, a few cups of coffee in the morning, a protein bar at lunch and another before we go to bed is not enough to sustain us physically. We need real food – fruits and vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates – to supply the fuel we need to carry us throughout each day.
Similarly, a diet lacking a steady intake of God’s Word cannot sustain us spiritually. Our faith weakens and our fears take over. Without the Lord and His Word, we can have all the choicest foods in the world, and still experience spiritual starvation. Faith Feeds on the Word of God. Proverbs 22:1-19 (NLT) –For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips … so you will trust in the LORD. God gives us His Word so we can know His character and be assured that He is trustworthy.
Are you one of those kinds of people? You know, the ones who take pictures of their food…and post them on social media. I challenge you to start taking pictures of the spiritual food you are feeding your faith with and posting it on social media. God’s Word — the Bible — is the food that feeds our faith, gives us spiritual strength and starves our fears! Psalm 34:8 (NKJV) – 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton