Nothing to Fear - by @ShelleyHendrix

image used with permission from pixabay.com

There are so many alarming headlines. Too many to count. I don’t know about you, but I know that as I read my newsfeed or hear the latest atrocity committed, accident experienced, storm warning or yet another Christian leader’s moral failure, I am gripped with a sense of my own humanity and inadequacy.

Fear is a powerful force and nearly indomitable motivator. 

The only force stronger than fear is love. 

And the only Source of pure love is God. 

And, Oh, How He Loves Us!! 

As children of God, deeply and fully loved and well-cared for, we can shine His light into the darkness as we put our hope in God. We can share this love that overcomes fear with others as we follow the Apostle Paul’s instruction to “express our faith in love.” (See Galatians 5:6) 

How can you share the love of Christ with those in your life today? How can you shine His light into the darkness today? 

Here are some practical ways Paul the Apostle encouraged a young Timothy to live out his faith: 

• Do Good 
• Be Rich in Good Deeds 
• Be Generous 
• Be Willing to Share 

And, as always, God's principles are closely attached to His promises: “In this way (you) will lay up treasures for (yourself) as a firm foundation...." 
May we all lean into our Heavenly Father in faith and hope borne out of our trust in His good and gracious character. 

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 

In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

~ I Timothy 6:17-19 

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The Torment that Ensnares Us by Sherri Sand

Iraq by U.S. Army via Flickr

What does torment look like?

I'm not talking medieval torture, but the barrage of negativity that persistently bangs against our door.

 
For some, it’s fear. Unreasonable, unrelenting fear. The vague sense that something bad could happen to us or someone we love. An undefined sense of doom that hangs over us like a cloud.

 
For others it’s temptation. The incessant pull to engage in thoughts or activities that promise fulfillment and then shame us horribly. Food. Shopping. Porn. Gambling. They lure us in and then nail us with a right hook that drops us to our knees.

Torment covers a gamut of areas. The enemy is good at setting us up to fail and then accusing us for the failure.

Tonight I tripped into sin. A lie of omission. A manipulation of words that kept truth in the shadows.

Like the scene from the Pink Panther in which Peter Seller’s character, Inspector Clouseau, walks into a hotel and spots a man and a dog standing in the foyer. He asks the man, “Does your dog bite?” The man says, “No.”

When Clouseau reaches to pet the dog, the animal tries to attack him. Clouseau leaps back and turns his offended gaze to the man and indignantly states, “I thought you said your dog doesn’t bite.”

The man barely raises an eyebrow as he replies, “That’s not my dog.”

My words were truthful, but they hid the real truth. The motive in my heart was to deflect away from my error. To keep from being judged.

But once the words were airborne, I felt guilt. Lots of it. Even after I repented. Shame stalked me, condemning me for lying.

The torment became so much bigger than my poor choice. It was a mountain I couldn’t shake free.

Then God reminded me that He is not the author of guilt or shame and I really needed to nail those lying spirits to the cross.

So I did. I broke agreements with them and asked God to remove them far from me.

Holy cow! Something lifted off me and I felt joy and freedom welling up inside.

I asked Holy Spirit what He wanted to give me in place of the guilt and shame and He said, “Redeeming love.” Isn’t that beautiful?

So often we accept what the enemy throws at us without questioning it. If we feel badly about ourselves, then we must be bad. We snuggle dejectedly into the tattered blanket of the enemy’s lies.

Is it possible that not everything we feel originates from us?

Is it possible we are being manipulated into accepting a way of life that we have the ability to reject? To kick to the curb and command it to stay away from us and our families?

Medieval Sword by Soren Niedziella via Flickr

What if we picked up our sword (Eph. 6:10-20) and started standing our ground (James 4:7). What if we went after the joy and peace that is promised to us?

What if it worked? What if we started guarding our thought life and rejecting negativity and gossip when it tries to engage us?

What if we looked for the best, forgave quickly, and loved the unlovely?

What if we let Love transform us?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, guide me into deeper places in Your heart, where the tempter can't reach me and fear has no hold on me. Teach me how to fight for pure thoughts. Thoughts that are full of goodness and kindness toward myself and others. Help me to know You in deeper ways. To walk free from what entangles my mind. Speak Your goodness to my heart so that I can walk in Your freedom. In Jesus' name, amen.

Sherri Sand is an author and speaker. Her unique perspective unlocks truths and biblical mysteries to bring hope to the hurting and peace to the stressed. She desires to lead people into a deeper relationship with God, where living as victorious overcomers becomes the norm rather than an elusive desire. To read her blog and discover more about living in spiritual wholeness and about Sherri’s novel, Leave it to Chance, visit her web site.

www.sherrisand.com
http://www.sherrisand.com/blog