<\/p>\n
The worry, anxiety, and fear shown around the world across cultures, ethnicities, and generations, through the challenge and suffering of the COVID-19 outbreak reveal common struggles we all face.<\/p>\n
In order to be authentic with suffering, we must honestly and humbly face the reality of how much we all struggle with sinful fear, worry, and anxiety.<\/p>\n
The psalmist himself writes that the terrors of death are upon him and he feels fearful and trembles in a way that is overwhelming.<\/p>\n
Psalm 55:4-6 \u201cMy heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the most common commands in the bible is \u201cDo not fear\u201d or \u201cDo not be afraid.\u201d It is spoken by God, God\u2019s angels, and God\u2019s leaders many times even in situations that were incredibly alarming and challenging such as when facing nations, large armies, natural disasters, and future suffering on the horizon. But not all fear is bad.<\/p>\n
There is a good fear that is appropriately connected to what values or concerns us the most which should be God.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fear of the Lord<\/em> is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.\u201d Proverbs 1:7<\/p>\n \u201cDo not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord<\/em>, and turn away from evil.\u201d Proverbs 3:7<\/p>\n \u201cFor this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you<\/em>, and our labor would be in vain.\u201d Colossians 3:5<\/p>\n This is expressed when we do not trust God with our concerns (unbelief) and we value our concerns more than God\u2019s concerns. We sin<\/em> by worry\/anxiety\/fear when we do this, because we are not handling our concerns in a way that pleases God. We are too concerned<\/strong> regarding our future interests, so much so that it keeps us from living in a way that pleases God in the present.<\/p>\n Some biblical examples of forbidding sinful worry\/anxiety\/fear are listed below.<\/p>\n \u201cFor this reason I say to you, do not be worried<\/em> about your life\u2026\u201d Matthew 6:25<\/p>\n \u201cDo not be anxious<\/em> about anything\u2026\u201d Philippians 4:6<\/p>\n \u201cPeace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled<\/em>, nor let it be fearful<\/em>.\u201d John 14:27<\/p>\n Since, we are naturally sinful<\/em> and doubt God (unbelief), the way out of a life of sinful fear is to repent<\/em> (turn away from a life of not trusting and following God) and believe<\/em> in Jesus Christ. Jesus has the power to forgive our sins<\/em> by dying on the cross<\/em> and the power to help us to live a new life of faith in God by raising us from the dead. Jesus says:<\/p>\n \u201cDo not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.\u2026I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.\u201d (John 14:2, 6)<\/p>\n Jesus says the reason the Christian should not worry or fear is because Jesus is our master<\/em> and since Jesus is God he will take care of us. If we trust Jesus, he helps us to fight fear in our lives by trusting God. But if we do not have trust in Jesus, we will always be worried and anxious because our concerns, values, and hopes are in the weak and temporary things of the world and not a powerful and caring God.<\/p>\n Matthew 6:24-33<\/p>\n 24\u00a0\u201cNo one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.<\/p>\n 25\u00a0\u201cTherefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?<\/p>\n 26\u00a0Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27\u00a0And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?<\/p>\n 28\u00a0And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29\u00a0yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30\u00a0But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you\u2014you of little faith?<\/p>\n 31\u00a0Therefore do not worry, saying, \u2018What will we eat?\u2019 or \u2018What will we drink?\u2019 or \u2018What will we wear?\u2019 32\u00a0For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33\u00a0But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.<\/p>\n 34\u00a0\u201cSo do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today\u2019s trouble is enough for today.\u201d<\/p>\n If Jesus is your master (the authority you trust to care for your life), do not worry about your life or body because God will secure your future.<\/p>\n #1: God provides me with greater things<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t have to worry because if God provides me greater things like my life and physical body, he will surely provide me with smaller things I need like food and clothing.<\/p>\n \u201cTherefore I tell you, do not worry<\/em> about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n #2: I am more valuable than birds<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t have to worry because, if God provides for less valuable things like birds, God will certainly care for my life which is more valuable than a bird.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n #3: Worry does nothing<\/strong><\/p>\n Worry wastes my life and adds nothing good to my life.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?\u201d<\/p>\n #4: My eternity with God matters most to God<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t have to worry because, if God provides amazing and detailed care for beautiful flowers that are so temporary, God will certainly care for my life as his child, whom he formed to live forever to worship and represent him.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you\u2014you of little faith?<\/p>\n #5: My Father knows and cares<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t have to worry about simple basic human needs and allow my life to be controlled and focused on only human concerns like those who don\u2019t know God. I can trust that my heavenly Father knows and will provide what I need so I can be focused on God\u2019s concerns and not human concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cTherefore do not worry, saying, \u2018What will we eat?\u2019 or \u2018What will we drink?\u2019 or \u2018What will we wear?\u2019 For it is the Gentiles<\/em> who strive<\/em> for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.\u201d<\/p>\n #6: Live for God and he will give me all I need<\/strong><\/p>\n I know God, my heavenly Father, will give me all the things I need when I am living for God\u2019s concerns and doing what he wants.<\/p>\n \u201cBut strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness<\/em>, and all these things will be given to you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n #7: I have enough problems today for God to help me handle<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry about the future because each day has enough evil without me adding to it by worry. God provides me what I need now to face today\u2019s evils.<\/p>\n \u201cSo do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today\u2019s trouble is enough for today.\u201d<\/p>\n Question: What are you worried\/anxious\/fearful of most right now?<\/p>\n Question: What do you normally think and do when you are fearful?<\/p>\n Question: Which faith building promise from Matthew 6 most encouraged you and why?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
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Where Do I Start If I Struggle With Fear\/Anxiety\/Worry<\/h2>\n
Why We Don\u2019t Have to Worry If Jesus Is Our King<\/h2>\n
Fight Fear with Faith Strengthening Trust in These Truths From Matthew 6<\/h3>\n
Additional Application to Fight Fear:<\/h2>\n
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Discussion and Reflection Questions:<\/h2>\n