Do Not Let Fear Possess You
The Bible says, “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). This Scripture tells us something very important: fear is not what God has given us to govern our lives. Fear can become an influence, a controlling force, and even a way of thinking that begins to determine how we see ourselves, how we see opportunities, how we make decisions, and ultimately how we live. When one possesses a spirit of fear, fear can become so deeply rooted that it begins to mask itself as indecision. You begin to think that you are simply “thinking things through,” when in reality, you are afraid to move.
There are people who fail to accomplish certain things not because they do not qualify for them, not because they are not supposed to have them, and not because they lack the capacity to accomplish them, but because they have possessed fear. Fear has become the lens through which they see situations. Fear is now the lens through which they make decisions. They look at an opportunity, and instead of seeing possibility, they see failure. They look at a relationship, and instead of seeing what could become of it, they see everything that could go wrong. They look at a business opportunity, and instead of seeing what could be built, they see what could be lost. Fear changes the way you interpret life.
This is exactly what happened when the children of Israel went to spy out the Promised Land. God had already given them the land, but when they saw the giants, their perception changed. They said, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we” (Numbers 13:31). Notice that the promise had not changed. God had not changed His mind. What changed was their perception. Fear made them see themselves as incapable of possessing what God had already told them they could possess. Fear will do the same thing to us. It will make the promise look smaller than the problem and make the problem look greater than the God who gave the promise.
There are people today who are not who they are supposed to be because they possessed fear. Fear convinced them that they did not have the capacity to accomplish what they desired to accomplish. Certain doors have not opened in their lives, not because the doors were never available, but because fear caused them to stand outside those doors. There are times when people want to enter into certain deals, into certain places, into certain relationships, or into certain assignments, but because of fear, they fail to do so. They remain where they are because where they are feels safe. Yet sometimes what we call safety is simply a prison that fear has made comfortable.
You have to ask yourself some difficult questions: Why are you not in that relationship? Why are you not in that business? Why are you not doing that thing? Why have you continued to postpone that decision? Why do you keep telling yourself that you are not ready? Sometimes the answer is not lack of qualification. Sometimes the answer is fear. Fear can be so subtle that you do not even recognize it as fear. You can convince yourself that you simply do not desire that opportunity. You can tell yourself that you are being cautious. You can tell yourself that you are waiting for the right time. But there are moments when you need to be honest enough to ask whether you are actually waiting on God or whether you are hiding behind indecision because you are afraid.
The Bible says, “The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Proverbs 29:25). A snare is a trap. Fear can trap a person without chains being visible. You can be physically free and yet mentally imprisoned by what you are afraid might happen. You can have the ability but never use it. You can have the opportunity but never take it. You can have the vision but never pursue it. You can have the door open before you but remain outside because fear has convinced you that what is on the other side is too dangerous. Fear does not always tell you to turn around; sometimes it simply tells you never to take the first step.
The opposite of fear is not merely the absence of fear; Scripture gives us a deeper answer. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). Love gives you a confidence that fear cannot produce. When you understand that God loves you, that God is with you, and that your life has purpose, you become less controlled by the opinions of people and less intimidated by the possibility of failure. There is also a passion that gives you boldness. When you become passionate about what you are called to do, you develop the courage to step into places that fear would have told you to avoid.
There are many people today who, if they were possessed with the passion that causes them to be bold, would accomplish far more than they can ever imagine. Passion gives you the willingness to pursue what you believe in. Passion makes you willing to take the necessary steps. Passion causes you to say, “I may not know everything, but I am going to begin.” The Bible says in Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” There is something about righteousness, conviction and confidence in God that produces boldness. You cannot allow fear to continually negotiate with the calling upon your life.
Paul therefore tells Timothy, “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). Notice what God has given you instead. He has given you power. Power speaks of ability, strength and the capacity to cause change. There are things that will not change until you use the ability and authority that God has given you. Sometimes the reason changes are not happening in your life is not because there is no possibility of change, but because you have not yet exercised the power and authority available to you. You keep waiting for something outside of yourself to change, when God is waiting for you to act on what He has already placed within you.
God has also given you love, and love produces the courage to move beyond self-preservation. Fear is constantly asking, “What will happen to me?” Love asks, “What can I do?” Fear protects itself from risk. Love is willing to sacrifice for purpose. Fear says, “What if I lose?” Love says, “What if this helps someone?” Fear keeps you focused on yourself; passion and love can move you toward your assignment. This is why some people remain stagnant for years: they are constantly trying to protect themselves from disappointment instead of pursuing the purpose for which they were created.
And then Paul speaks about a sound mind. Many people are not where they are supposed to be because they vacillate. They doubt themselves. They doubt who they are. They doubt their abilities. They doubt their decisions to a point where they can no longer make sound decisions. Fear attacks the mind before it attacks the action. If fear can control what you think, it can eventually control what you do. That is why Romans 12:2 tells us, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Your mind must be renewed because the way you think will influence the way you live.
A sound mind does not mean that you will never feel fear. It means that fear does not have to become your master. You can feel fear and still move forward. You can recognize the risk and still make a wise decision. You can acknowledge uncertainty without allowing uncertainty to paralyze you. Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is refusing to allow fear to have the final authority over your decisions.
Think about Peter when he stepped out of the boat to walk on water. Jesus said, “Come” (Matthew 14:29), and Peter stepped out. But Matthew tells us that when Peter “saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid” (Matthew 14:30). Peter's circumstances did not suddenly become more powerful than Jesus. His attention simply shifted. He began looking at the storm instead of the One who had called him. Fear often enters when our attention becomes dominated by what can go wrong. When the storm becomes bigger in your eyes than the One who called you, fear will begin to dictate your response.
So, what is that thing that you are afraid of? What is the decision that you keep postponing? What is the door that you are afraid to walk through? What is the relationship you are afraid to enter? What is the business you are afraid to start? What is the assignment you are afraid to accept? What is the dream you have buried because you are afraid that you might fail? Sometimes fears can be so subtle that you think it is perfectly okay not to desire to enter through that door. You think it is okay not to accept or walk into that relationship. You think it is okay not to do that deal. You think it is okay not to do that thing. But perhaps it is not okay. Perhaps fear has been governing your understanding, governing your thoughts, governing your decisions and governing your ability to see through situations.
It is time to examine what has been controlling you. Do not allow fear to possess your thinking. Do not allow fear to possess your decisions. Do not allow fear to determine the limits of your life. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Therefore, step out from the shadow of fear and step into a place where you exercise the power God has given you, walk in the love that produces boldness, and function through a sound mind.
There are things you will never become while fear is governing your decisions. There are doors you will never enter while fear is controlling your perception. There are opportunities you will never embrace while fear is telling you what you cannot do. Do not let fear possess you. Let faith, love, courage, wisdom and the power of God govern your life.
It is time to step forward. It is time to make the decision. It is time to walk through the door. It is time to believe that what God has placed inside you is enough for what He has called you to do. Do not allow fear to tell you who you are. Do not allow fear to tell you what you can accomplish. Do not allow fear to become the lens through which you see your future.
God has not given you a spirit of fear. He has given you power, love and a sound mind. Walk in it.
