Fear Should Not Be A Counselor 3/21/2017

Good Morning,

I challenge everyone today to greet others with a smile and a big hello. As I write, my cup of Door County Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti sits steaming next to me. Without a word it has said to me "Good Morning".

Since the fall of man through Adam and Eve, fear came into the world.

Genesis 3:10New International Version (NIV)
¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Because of sin, fear entered the world. I believe that fear is one of the first emotions a baby experiences when they cry out, missing the close heartbeat of their mother. Something changed, and where is Momma?

As we grow older fear becomes a counselor to us. Nicolas Berdyaev said " Fear is never a good counselor and victory over fear is the first spiritual duty of man." Fear begins to counsel our decisions and we learn to rely on fear to guide us. When we turn to fear for counseling instead of God we move contrary to God's plan.

From birth to death fear casts a shadow over us. It causes us to avoid change. It causes us to miss opportunities and it convinces us we cannot serve the Lord. It causes us to be terrorized by the death bed. Where as, God has conquered death and it's sting for us. We need to break the chains of fear.

John 3:16New International Version (NIV)
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.       In this action God defeated fear.

God's desire is to deliver us from fear.

2 Timothy 1:7New International Version (NIV)
⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

When we listen to fear our ears close to God. When we stop hearing from God our world really does go silent. Like a baby who cannot hear Momma and feel her heartbeat, fear causes our hearts to beat so loud we cannot sense the presence of God. We often react to the fear by making a wrong choice, missing out on God leading us through and out of our self imposed prison of fear.

So today, lean on God and stay off of the couch of the fear counselor. You and God can do it.

Marty.