Failing Because of Fear
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
Luke 21:25–26
During World War II, American military hero General George Patton was interviewed following the successful invasion of Sicily. The dashing Patton was renowned for always being on the attack. When the interviewer praised his courage, General Patton replied, “Sir, I am not a brave man. The truth is, I am an utter craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn’t so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.” The difference between Patton and others was not that he was never afraid, but that he was not controlled by his fears. In his autobiography Patton wrote, “I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears.”
The Bible does not promise us that nothing bad will ever happen to us or that things will always be easy. Instead it tells us that there will be trouble and pain. But it does promise that we can have victory over our fears. The first step is to recognize the source of fear. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear does not come from God. But the Holy Spirit gives us what we need to overcome our fears and do what He has called us to do without regard to whether we understand how things will work together. That is His responsibility, and in faith we conquer our fear by relying on God to do all things well.
Luke 21:25–26
During World War II, American military hero General George Patton was interviewed following the successful invasion of Sicily. The dashing Patton was renowned for always being on the attack. When the interviewer praised his courage, General Patton replied, “Sir, I am not a brave man. The truth is, I am an utter craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn’t so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.” The difference between Patton and others was not that he was never afraid, but that he was not controlled by his fears. In his autobiography Patton wrote, “I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears.”
The Bible does not promise us that nothing bad will ever happen to us or that things will always be easy. Instead it tells us that there will be trouble and pain. But it does promise that we can have victory over our fears. The first step is to recognize the source of fear. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear does not come from God. But the Holy Spirit gives us what we need to overcome our fears and do what He has called us to do without regard to whether we understand how things will work together. That is His responsibility, and in faith we conquer our fear by relying on God to do all things well.
Today’s Growth Principle:
We will all be afraid at times, but we never have to be controlled by our fears.
Complete in Christ
by Joyce Meyer - posted October 01, 2016And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
- Colossians 2:10 KJV
And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].
— Colossians 2:10
Feeling that something is missing in our lives and not knowing what it is leaves us frustrated and continually searching. We become like the people God talked about in Jeremiah 2:13, those digging empty wells that have no water in them. We try first one thing and then another, but nothing quenches our thirst for whatever it is that is missing in our lives. We might describe our feelings as being incomplete; yet like the verse above says, we are complete in Jesus.
To be complete means to be satisfied, filled up, assured. Without Christ, people are always searching, looking for something. We all want to feel satisfied. We all want contentment. We all want to know we are loved and accepted for who we are. We may think acceptance and approval from people will make us feel complete. However, the Bible teaches us that when we trust in man to give us what only God can give, we live under a curse; but when we believe, trust in, and rely on the Lord, we are blessed (See Jeremiah 17:5-8). The joy, peace, and fulfillment we seek come from being filled with God, and nothing else.
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