TO CONQUER FEAR.
The Rev. Tommy Greer believes that Satan has a shed where he keeps his tools of evil. Addiction, depression, hate, and anger are just a few of Satan’s precious items. Although he has many, one of his favorites is fear.
Fear is the root of most negative human actions and emotions. However, there is one single character attribute that is stronger than fear. It is hope.
OUR COUNTRY – The United States is more politically and socially fractured than at any time in history since 1861. I invite you to watch a few minutes of any political talk show in the evening. You will see nothing but hate, finger pointing, and a total lack of civility.
Our enemies across the globe pay attention to this. Many of them perceive us as weak, materialistic, and crumbling. They see that we are becoming a more secularized society every day. Other countries have viewed the United States as a weak nation before. However, each time it has been at their own peril.
In my law practice, when a case begins to turn in the wrong direction, I immediately stop and step back to the beginning asking for God’s guidance. Oftentimes a different angle will solve the problem. I am blessed in that God put me on the path of a profession that I truly love and believe that I was meant to be of service. That helps me turn fear into a challenging opportunity to engage.
Governments can do the same as businesses. Governments must seek God’s guidance and look back to those divinely inspired Framers of the Constitution for a solution. There is hope in this scenario. But, it will take strong leadership from brave men and women to get our country back on the path of goodness and prosperity. Those leaders are out there. They must choose hope over fear.
YOU AND I – I have a close friend whose wife is suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Another friend is hospitalized again because of severe alcoholism. In both scenarios the so called “odds” do not appear good from a human power standpoint. But, there is hope. Doctors are wonderful people who have been given the power to heal through training, medicine, and intelligence. But, God has the most powerful role in the process of healing.
I am not saying that everyone recovers from sickness and disease. We all will pass away at some point in time. But, where only fear exists in the reliance on human power alone, hope can take its place in the reliance on God working through humans to heal our sick loved ones.
Many of our people suffer from economic insecurity, problems at home, poor health, and general unhappiness just to name a few. Fear lies underneath these and other personal struggles. Identify the fear and you can find the hope that will overcome.
Satan uses fear to separate us from God. Fear is reliable, effective, and a means of control. Fear has cost men and women from seeking their potential, standing up for what is right, and being the way the God made them.
I know this fear. Fear is just around the corner every day. Some days are better than others. But, if I can give my fears to God, He will take them. There is no peace like that of living a fearless life.
You and I can also hope for a better life through asking God what His will is for us today. Don’t think about tomorrow or yesterday. Focus on what He would like for you to do right now.
Today, I know that hope is more powerful than fear. But, knowing and doing are different. There was a time when all I knew was fear. Life is not like that anymore. Now, while I am not always successful, life is generally full of hope and peace. I seek to conquer fear by giving Him my worries.
I have turned my back on God many times in my life. However, the one single piece of evidence that clearly makes the case for the power of hope is that He has never turned his back on me