You are Fashioned for Faith, Not Fear

You Are Fashioned for Faith
By Rev. Tony Cooke

Click Here to order the audio CD where Tony preaches this message.

Dr. E. Stanley Jones, the great Methodist missionary, made the following outstanding statement:
“I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath–these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely–these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, ‘We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non- worriers, but that is a fact.’ But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”

When Jesus responded to a question posed by His disciples (Matthew 24:4-8) about future events, Jesus indicated the following would occur:

* Great deception in the earth
* Wars and rumors of wars
* Nation would rise against nation
* Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places

Amazingly, in the midst of that seemingly pessimistic forecast, Jesus gave an outstanding command: “See that you are not troubled!” One translation of that verse says, “Stop being alarmed,” and another says, “See that you are not frightened or alarmed.”

Before she passed away, Ann Landers (who at that time was receiving around 10,000 letters a month seeking advice) was asked about the most common topic of the letters she received. She answered that “most people seem to be afraid of something.” She indicated that people were often afraid even when there seemed to be no reason to be afraid and said, “Ours is a world of fearful people.”

Sometimes we think of fear as an intense, panicked feeling, the kind you would expect if a bear or lion attacked you. Far more people, though, are dealing with what we might call a seed of fear… a low-grade condition that annoys, irritates, and distracts, and keeps them from truly enjoying life. One person described that kind of condition as follows: “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through our mind. If it continues, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

What follows are five steps we can take in conquering fear when we sense it affecting us. These simple points include:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE it!

Denying the existence of a problem doesn’t make it go away, and acknowledging it doesn’t create it. If you’re dealing with fear, you’re dealing with fear. Be open and honest with God. Don’t be ashamed of the problem and try to hide it from God. In Psalm 56:3, David said, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” In other words, David had a strategy in place for what he would do when fear presented itself to him.

Never let the fear linger in the subconscious where it will just gnaw away at you. Bring it to the light! Ephesians 5:13 (Amplified) says, 13 But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.

2. ANALYZE the Fear.

Analyze is not a bad word! In Isaiah 1:18, God said, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD…” God wasn’t against us using our reasoning powers, but He wants us to reason with Him and His Word, not against Him and His Word. Romans 12:2 tells us that we are, “transformed by the renewing of your mind,” not by the removing of it.

Analyzing the fear will help us to know whether we’re dealing with a real or an imaginary problem. There is rational fear and then there is irrational fear, and most of the fears we face are not really grounded in reality. While we do want to analyze our fears in the light of God’s Word, we don’t want to do this exclusively. To spend too much time in this arena leads us into the “paralysis of analysis.”

3. ARM Yourself With the Word of God!

Find and embrace the promises in the Bible about trust, confidence, and overcoming fear! The word of God is “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18).

Joshua 10:25
25 “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage…”

Psalm 27:1-3
1 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?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

Psalm 46:1-2
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Proverbs 3:24-26
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 54:14
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Mark 5:36
…”Do not be afraid; only believe.”

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 13:5-6
5 He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6So we may boldly say:
“The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

4. ACTIVELY Resist Fear.

We can resist fear with our thoughts, words, prayers, and songs. Notice what Isaiah said about resisting the verbal assaults of the enemy.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness Is from Me,”
Says the LORD.

Really, the best way to resist fear (a negative) is to be saturated with a positive: the love of God. 1 John 4:18 tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”

5. ASSOCIATE with People Who Build You Up!

Fellowship with faith-filled people is essential. Paul drew enormous strength from others when he was facing difficult times, and we should too. Ultimately, our trust has to be in God, not in people. However, God is good to bring people into our lives who can encourage and help us.

One time, when Paul was going through a particularly difficult time, God used Titus to encourage him. Consider Paul’s words:

2 Corinthians 7:5-6
6 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Know that God fashioned you for faith, not for fear! The one who made you to live free from fear will certainly help you as you decide to live as God ordained.

Click Here to order the audio CD where Tony preaches this message.