God Out of The Box (day92/365)

Today, we finish up reading “Fearless” by Max Lucado.

Fear #13 Fear of God Getting Out of My Box.
Boxes are great for storing cereal, stacking books, but not much good when it comes to explaining people or defining Christ. Some think they can control, manage, or predict what God does. A packaged, portable Jesus may fit well on the shelf, but does nothing for your fears, has no power over cancer cells, corruption, identity theft, stock market crashes, or global calamity. When we let God out of the box, fears of life diminish. As we see God bigger, our courage becomes bigger. Seeing his purity and power inspires confidence.
“They fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” Matthew 17:6-7

Fear does not have to be part of our lives. We can choose courage.

Courage does not panic; it prays.
Courage does not bemoan; it believes.
Courage does not languish; it listens.

Be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven. (Matthew 9:2)
Let not your heart be troubled. (John 14:1)
Don’t be afraid. (Luke 12:7)

A Real God in End Times (day91/365)

Max Lucado addresses some more fears in “Fearless”.

Fear #11 Fear that God is not real.
After Jesus’ death, his disciples were full of fear and doubt. Jesus appeared to them however. He ate with them and had fellowship with them. He taught them scripture. He brought confidence back into their lives.
For modern day people, it is not all that different. Jesus appears to us through other people. We can fellowship, share meals, share scripture knowledge. We can choose to welcome Jesus (through the Holy Spirit). We can experience the reality of his presence. You know, anything you are not familiar with can seem like nonsense, but two billion Christians worldwide will vouch for the fact that once you have experienced the love and peace of Jesus, you will know without a doubt that God is real.
“Why are you frightened” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?” Luke 24:38

Fear #12 Fear of Global Calamity
End times are described clearly in the Bible. We will experience turmoil and persecution. Wars, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and people claiming to be Christ will all star in end times. We can choose to have courage however. Triumph will be ours. We may be wide-eyed but need not be afraid. When the world appears out of control, it isn’t. God is in control and it will all work out in the end.
“You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.” Matthew 24:6

The Coming Winter, The Coming Death (day90/365)

Max Lucado steps us through two more fears in his book “Fearless”.

Fear #8 Fear of the coming winter.
Fear of not having enough for the future can be overwhelming. But lets put it into perspective. What we have now and what we have in the future belongs to God. He owns it and he shares it with us. We need to learn to trust in God, rather than trusting in stuff. Just like monopoly money, it all goes back in the box when the game is over. We don’t get to take any with us when we depart this life.
“Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32.

Fear #9 Fear of life’s final moments.
If you believe that death is the end of everything,what a sad depressing lead up to life’s end you would have. Rather, can you hear the promises of Jesus when he says he has prepared rooms for us in his father’s house. Death is not the end, but the beginning of a new life. Life after death warrants the same hope and excitement a wedding does. We can look forward to a new era, a new home. Jesus experienced a physical and factual resurrection. We will too.
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me…..I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14: 1,3.

Worst Possible Scenario – Violence? (day89/365)

Max Lucado encourages us to face two more fears in his book “Fearless”.

Fear#6 Fear of Worst Case Scenario
What is your worst fear? Public failure, unemployment, betrayal, heights, disease, senility, being trapped, abandoned, forgotten, never marrying. The list could go on. So could our obsessions with these things. Paranoia makes us panic over them. Prudence however helps us prepare and plan. Jesus knew fear. He faced fear. He faced God’s wrath, isolation and physical death. The solution then and now? Pray! Pray on your own. Pray with friends. Put worries into words and disrobe them. They look pretty silly standing there naked. The power is taken from them.
“Jesus plunged into a sinkhole of dreadful agony.” Mark 14:33.

Fear#7 Fear of Violence.
Good people are not exempt from violence, rape, murder. None of us are insulated, but neither do we need to be intimidated. Courage comes not from increased police security, but from enhanced spiritual maturity. “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.” Proverbs 29:25. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6. Jesus felt the violence of all mankind. Six hours of brutality, torture, savagery. Jesus took hell’s worst and turned it into hope for us.
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Matthew 10:28.

Children and Challenges (day88/365)

We face two more fears today as we take advice from Max Lucado in “Fearless”.

Fear #4 Fear of not protecting my kids.
Somewhere very early on in the parenting process we realise how valuable, precious, vulnerable our children are. It is a fearsome thing to think how important a job it is to raise children. The tip is to take all fears to Christ otherwise we may well take our fears out on the children.We can turn into paranoid prison guards, monitoring every minute, stifling growth and communicating distrust. On the other hand we can be too permissive, allowing our child complete freedom with little discipline. To avoid extremes, pray. We can’t protect them from every threat in life, but we can take them to the source of life. Our children were God’s long before they became ours. They are still God’s. “Don’t be afraid. Just believe,and your daughter will be well.” Luke 8:50.

Fear #5 Fear of Overwhelming challenges.
Pink slips, foreclosures, lawsuits…. there are plenty of challenges, but it is in these storms that Jesus comes to us. The question is, can we keep our eyes on him and get through, or do we allow the challenges to avert our gaze from the lifeline.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Matthew 14:27.

P.E.A.C.E.F.U.L. (day87/365)

Over the next week, we’ll be discovering the 13 fears that Max Lucado talks about in his book “Fearless”.

Fear #1 Fear of not mattering.
Insignificance, nothingness! We go to lengths to be noticed with fashion, to be a part of the in crowd by supporting a sports team, to establish legacies or foundations to immortalise our names. God says these things pass away. He gives significance and meaning to each of our lives. He made us. He loves us. We do matter to God. And that is the main thing that matters!
“So don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows”. Matthew 10:31.

Fear#2 Fear of disappointing God.
Aware of a higher power, most of us realise we fall short of His glory. We carry guilt, shame and worry. But why? God’s well of grace never empties.
“Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven”. Matthew 9:2.

Fear #3 Fear of running out…
…of time, money, luck, credit, wisdom, intelligence..the list goes on.
So we worry! But let’s not. Here are some tips to stop worry.
P Pray first. Give thanks for a positive solution.
E Easy now, slow down. Wait patiently for God’s answer.
A Act on it. Have a concern? Deal with it. Don’t dwell on it.
C Compile a worry list. See that the worry is fruitless.
E Evaluate worry categories. Pray specifically for recurring areas.
F Focus on today. God meets needs daily.
U Unleash a worry army. Share worry. Break it down.
L Let God be enough. He gives us all we need.
“I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough.” Matthew 6:25.

Fear is a bully (day86/365)

Can you imagine a life without fear? A life with no lay-offs, no flare-ups, no slow-downs, no turnovers, no downturns, no upsurges, no breakouts?
A life not affected by a final heartbeat, a final paycheck, a final solution?

Fear corrodes confidence. Fear sucks life out of the soul.

Can fear save a marriage?
Can fear pull you out of poverty?
Can fear negotiate a peace treaty?

We can’t be happy and fearful at the same time.
We can’t be clear thinking and afraid at the same time.
We can’t be confident and fearful at the same time.

Fear is a bully! It likes to kick other emotions out and takeover. Fear can easily lead to sin in angry outbursts, drinking binges, sullen withdrawals.

Hysteria is not from God. He calls us to have courage and faith.

As Max Lucado shares with us how to overcome 13 fears in his book “Fearless”, my prayer is that we can all find courage and faith to face our challenges. Keep reading over the next week for some encouragement.