To Paralyze You with Fear

  To Paralyze You with Fear

Fear is a tactic often used by the enemy. Fear can bind you. Fear can make you lie, cheat, and steal. Fear can cause you to commit murder. Fear can give others power over you. Fear can enslave you. Fear can rob you of your very life. Fear is very real. In the field of psychology, fear is so predominant that they have named it a Phobia. From Arachnophobia to Acrophobia (fear of heights), all the way to Pantophobia. Not fear of pants, though, if that's what you're thinking. It's fear of everything. Including pants, I suppose. In that case... Sorry. Let's go on. 

But fear is a very real and very powerful force. I will never forget that back in the days when I was a Hotel Manager, I met this Woman and her soon-to-be husband. They were asking me to host their wedding guests and the wedding itself, which they wanted to have in the lounge. Well, that's not possible, I told them, because the lounge is a nightclub, and we would not be able to shut it down for a private function, and I offered to show them other rooms and put them in touch with my salesperson.

Well, the woman said, "I really need to speak with you privately." So we went into my office, and she told me that her sister has been diagnosed with Agoraphobia, Anthropophobia, and Ochlophobia. I said, understandably, "What?" So she explained it to me. Agoraphobia - fear of open spaces, Anthropophobia - fear of people or the company of people, and Ochlophobia- fear of crowds. She believed that she also suffered from Xenophobia - fear of strangers. Now, setting aside my wondering how Anthropophobia, Ochlophobia, and Xenophobia are any different, and what that difference would really matter, I said: "Please go on."

She said, "Well, the lounge has that greenhouse dining room attached that can be seen from the rooms, and my sister could stand outside it and watch the wedding. This way she would not miss it." So I agreed. She is going to have the wedding in the lounge. But she was not done.

"Can I ask you a HUGE favor?" I thought, "You already did." But what I said was, "Sure." Then she said, "I need you to meet my sister. She cannot go outside by herself, and she really wants to see me get married. If you meet her and spend some time with her, she may trust you enough to go outside and stand with you for the ceremony." "Uh, OK."

So I did. I met her. Through the door. I went to the room often for two days. She eventually opened the door. To my surprise, here is this absolutely stunning young lady. I mean it. She was beautiful. I kinda pictured an Igor-looking person. I know, I know, not nice. But it's the truth. I thought she would be homely and mousy. But here stood this model-looking young lady.

At first, she would not make eye contact. But we talked, and I spent time listening to her. Then she asked if I would bring her something to eat. So I did. After some time, she looked up and into my eyes. "Will you come and get me right before the ceremony?" "Of course I will." Was my response.

So there it was, time. I went and got her. She opened the door and was all dressed up. She was wearing what she would wear if she could go in. It took her a little bit to step outside. I had to remind her that the ceremony was about to start. To my absolute shock, and it even startled me for a second, she took my hand. We walked together to the outside of the greenhouse, and she watched her sister get married. She asked if we could stay a bit longer so she could watch the dancing and stuff. To my surprise and without thought, I said: "We can stay here all night if you want." She smiled. We only stayed for about 30 minutes, and she felt she needed to go back to the room. So we went back, and I brought her some food and cake from the wedding with her sister.

I saw firsthand, call it what you will, how fear can rob you of your very life. This absolutely beautiful woman was a prisoner to her fear. This is what we will be talking about today. Thing two that the devil wants is for you to be paralyzed with fear. Let us pray. 

Father, we come before you today with thanksgiving and praise. We know instinctively, beyond any doubt, that you, Father, are the great I Am and there is nothing besides you. We know instinctively that since we are yours, we have nothing to fear. Your Word declares, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Father, we come and gather today to learn your Truth, which we know is the Truth. We pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and the Spirit to receive your Truth and revelation. Show us, Father, that we have nothing to fear. In Jesus' name, amen! 

You, as a Child of God, have nothing to fear. Seriously.

Fear of Death? Death itself is nothing.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. “ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Notice there is no time to fear. Death itself is as natural to life as living. Death is not a punishment. It just is. It is only appointed for us to die one time.

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.“ Hebrews 9:27-28

When you leave this world, that is not truly death. When you die in the flesh, you stand before Jesus Himself. If you have accepted Jesus and been adopted into the family of God, you allow Him to be your substitute. He died for you. You died already. If not, then you are cast into the lake of fire. However, if you are a child of God, then your life is no longer yours to give, nor anyone's to take. So why fear?

Fear losing your job? Your needs will be met. Matthew 6: 25-34

Fear anything else related to it? Bills, Debt, Food? Same thing. Your needs will be met.

Fear God? Is He now your Father? Romans 8

Fear the Devil? He has no power over you. But he wants you to fear. Why? 

Fear paralyzes or restricts

Look at the parable of the Talents.

"Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'"  Matthew 25:24–25

Fear leads directly to inaction and hiding what God has entrusted to you. Looking at circumstances through fear distorts reality, magnifies the obstacle, and causes an entire community to turn back instead of moving forward into God's promises. Look here. Numbers 13:31–33

“Then the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.’ So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them."

This created fear in the whole community. Instead of trusting what they were told God said, they feared because of what these men said. 

“Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would we have died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt." Numbers 14:1-4

The evil we know, rather than the evil we fear? In 1 Kings 18, Elijah stands alone against 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Fire falls from heaven, the people declare Jehovah as God, and the long drought ends. Yet, in 1 Kings 19:1–3, Queen Jezebel sends Elijah a death threat. Despite just witnessing a massive display of God's power, Elijah looks at the threat, becomes terrified, and runs for his life.

“Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went on a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." 1 Kings 19:1–4 

Even after a major victory, a sudden threat of fear can cause spiritual exhaustion, isolation, and a desire to give up.

It should not be this way with us. We are children of God. 

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

Fear does not originate from God; His Spirit provides the internal strength and clarity needed to act.

God's presence is the direct antidote to paralyzing anxiety. Understanding and resting in God's love breaks the tormenting hold that fear relies on.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."1 John 4:18

Anchoring confidence in who God is reframes external threats.

"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?" Psalm 27:1

Fear is completely irrational and has no place in your life when you come to the full realization of who you are as a child of God. Who your Father now is. Do not allow the fear of anything to place you into bondage. To rob you of your very life itself. "Greater is He in you than in all the World." 1 John 4:4

Join us next time for number 3; this is a big one. The enemy wants you to fear sharing the Gospel. Join us, won’t you? 

Remember, you can always find this, and so much more, in the archives, over at TAG

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the Lord our God go before you as your way maker, as well as behind you as your rear guard, and may He be with you always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!