SLP025 - New Beginnings : How to Overcome Fear

At the onset of every ‘New Beginning‘, there is the realization that in order to have what you’ve never had, you have to di what you’ve never done. In order to do things you’ve never done before, it often requires us to face fears that in the past, we have not been willing to do. On this episode, I want to talk to you about THREE KINDS OF FEAR THAT YOU MUST OVERCOME if you want to experience the full measure of the New Beginning God desires to bring to your life.

Scriptural Principle

2 Timothy 1:7        King James Version (KJV)

⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Philippians 4:12-14      New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹² I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. ¹³ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

Definitions

Fear –  (Merriam Webster)

• An unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger
• An instance of this emotion
• A state marked by this emotion
• Anxious concern
• Profound reverence and awe especially toward God
• Reason for alarm

Wikipedia –

Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat which causes entities to quickly pull far away from it and usually hide. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger leading to an urge to confront it or flee from it (also known as the fight-or-flight response) but in extreme cases of fear (horror and terror) a freeze or paralysis response is possible.

Fear is frequently related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats, which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable. It is worth noting that fear almost always relates to future events, such as worsening of a situation, or continuation of a situation that is unacceptable. Fear can be a manipulating and controlling factor in an individual’s life.

With these definitions as a backdrop, let us look at THREE categories of fear that so often causes us to limit the work of God in our lives

1. Fear of Man

Throughout World History, the fear of man has been seen in action. Nations have risen and fallen on the basis of this fear, or the ability to move beyond it. This fear is a very real thing; one that has empowered some, and paralyzed others. This fear (like all fear) is the antithesis of faith; it is the cancelling agent of faith.

The fear of man comes in many forms, and is one of the most dominant of the fears

• The opinions of others
  •  More concerned with what people think (or may think) about you than what God has SAID about you
• Perceived status or lack thereof
  • If I don’t hold a certain rank, position, or title, I will not have the respect of men. We exaggerate our resume to impress men, rather than walk confidently in who we really are
• Loss of approval
  • If I DO what I know to do, and follow the direction God is leading, my boss, my family, my friends may not agree, and I may lose my approval. Men seek approval, and often times do so to the detriment of their own soul
• Loss of love
  • I’ll just keep the peace. I will do what I have to because I do not want to lose the love and acceptance of people
• Performance/reward (am I good enough to impress)
  • I do and do and do to impress. I stress myself out to perform up to someone’s expectation so I can maintain my status with them (love, approval, acceptance)
• Fear of enemies or opposition (go along to get along)
  • Many times we tolerate unrighteousness and injustice out of fear of reprisal. We do what we do not out of a motivation to succeed, but out of fear of consequence and punishment if we do not do it ‘right’
  • We are conditioned to avoid conflict; YET, the Bible tells us that we are engaged in warfare that is not of this world. Satan uses MEN to intimidate, oppose, and even undermine the intentions of God in our lives.We must look beyond the MAN, and see the God who has assured us the victory
• Fear of rejection
  • So many have experienced the sting of rejection. From parents, friends, pastors, spouses or other love interests. Once you have experienced this, we tend to live our lives in defense mode. We become isolated and alone, and this was never God’s intent. Jesus was despised AND rejected for our sake, so we would not have to live in fear of it
• Fear of job loss/financial ruin
  • This is a fear of man, in that we actually believe that MAN is our provider. We walk on eggshells in fear of getting fired, getting laid off, having our benefits decreased, having our pay scale decreased. This is a mammon spirit that causes us to fear men.
•  People pleasing vs. God pleasing

2. Fear of Risk/Failure

Dreams are realized ONLY when we act upon them. Destinies are revealed and potential is manifest ONLY when we take what is possible, and actually MAKE IT so. Success and fulfillment ONLY comes to those who are willing to risk the present for the sake of a better future. The best things in life come to those who look risk and even failure in the eye, and DO IT anyway. Faith without works is DEAD

2 Timothy tells us that God has NOT given us the spirit of fear.

Fear is a spirit that is released and utilized by our enemy to paralyze us … to cause us to be unable to ACT on God’s Word. When our promise or destiny is directly in front of us, whether or not we possess it and experience the benefits of it are completely contingent upon our willingness and ability to look FEAR dead on, and go in anyway. Fear does not take into account the sovereignty of God. Fear will talk you out of the very thing you long for.

Fear of risk and failure will cheat you out of the joy and success of what COULD BE; and lock you into the WHAT IS. Subjecting yourself to fear of failure or fear of risk will lock you into the present, and keep you from having what God has determined in His own mind he wants you to have

• Self-preservation is almost always the product of FEAR

• One of the ways we limit God is by allowing (and I do mean allowing) the fear of RISK and the fear of FAILURE to paralyze us, and rob us of our potential

• Potential is just that … potential. It has no power unless someone acts on it, and causes it to become a reality

Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins. – Charles Stanley

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“Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won’t suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when that person looks back – and at some point everyone looks back – she will hear her heart saying, “What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days? What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you? You buried yourself in a cave because you were fearful of losing those talents. So this is your heritage; the certainty that you wasted your life.” – Paulo Coelho

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“If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” – Ray Bradbury

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 Questions:

1. What fears have you been contending with, possibly for years?
2. Are you ready to face those, push in, and press beyond those fears to accomplish your destiny?
3. Will 2014 be your year of breakthrough?

If God said you can, you can … in spite of the obstacles.

Philippians 4:12-14  (NASB)

³ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.