Combat Fear with Faith

Have you been in a battle within your mind over faith and fear. Fear of what you can not confirm to be true, fear of what you thought you could not control, fear of feeling helpless, unloved, mistreated and disrespected. Not necessarily from family or friends, but as a whole. Each day we have to dig deep, grab a bulldog hold on faith in God, trust Him further than we can trace Him and encourage ourself in the knowledge that we are right where God wanted us to be. We realize this crossroad must be faced. Take hold of the one thing that stands the test of time, HIS WORD!

Everyone faith is being tested. God is challenging you to look internally and come to the understanding that He allows such circumstances to come about in order that you learn how to totally look to and depend upon Him. So that you can get out of self, focus your attention on His plan and accept that life is not always about you....it's about His will for your life.

Let me use myself as an example. I had to stop and take inventory of the things going on in my life. I work and full time job to support my family and pay for college. I am in school 2 nights a week working on completing my degree. I'm trying to do ministry and give God the time He deserves but it just seems like I am stretched thin. FEAR begins to creep in and you question if you are really doing what is right for you as opposed to what God planned. FEAR tells you that you are going to fail, that you are no longer as faithful in certain aspects of your life. FEAR told me that when my boss questioned how focused I was on my job when I was not able to devote my extra time at work to push my staff, that perhaps my job was in jeopardy. My boss is used to me being the very best and yes, my focus has not always been as precise with the other areas pulling at my attention.

Then my mind began to wonder when FEAR told me the people I care the most about don't care the same way about me. Their absence or lack of attention somehow reflected negatively on me. God was pulling away my security blankets so I could truly hear from Him. I did not know it but FEAR was trying to take me out.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

I HAD TO OVERCOME FEAR. I had to decide for myself that God can remove it all from around me and I would still have faith in HIS plan, purpose and will for my life. I had to stop listening to that little imp whispering words of defeat into my ear gate, and declare that God controlled my destiny and not Valarie, family, friends, co-worker, finances, school or my children.

If we examine FEAR we see that F should = our level of Faith. What we allow to enter our EAR gate takes up residence in our mind and feeds our soul. The only way to combat fear is by having faith in what God says and not what others say. If I am not clearly listening to God I would never have heard him saying "I've Got this Val, step back and let me be GOD!."

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7 The more I allowed myself to listen to the distractions, the more they took residence in my mind. As I pondered them, the more focused I became on trying to understand and fix what I thought was broken. The more I tried to fix what I thought was broken the more FEAR consumed me. I was fearful in what my natural eye thought was true instead of trusting my spiritual eye, asking God to reveal the truth and then stand on His will for my life. I was in need of a transfusion for my mind.

When I accepted God's promise through that one simple statement (and it took some kicking and screaming and tons of tears on my part), I realized my lack of trust and faith was causing my fears to manifest in the natural.

God took me into the word and reminded me that David was anointed some 20 years before He allowed him to rule. That all of David's brothers, Jesse's sons, were in the eyes of others more suitable to reign, but it was about Gods plan. When He has a plan for our lives it is on purpose. We may not see it, we seldom understand fully, but we must trust through faith in HIM that HIS plan will come to pass.

I've been fortunate to see God's word manifest in the lives of others around me and I am so excited for their blessings because I realize His timing is everything. You see when you do it right, God will bless it right. There have been times and circumstances I've found myself dealing with that I've questioned God's plan and purpose over my life. Some days I wonder how much longer...and God reminds me to not be weary in well doing. I have learned that when I place my focus on things I desire as opposed to the things God demands I begin to doubt and wonder and allow my focus to be shifted. When I take myself out of the equation, re-align myself to His will, I no longer fear the who, what, when, where, why and how but instead embrace HIS timing.

I have to remove myself from certain environments that make me question who I am in Christ and what my worth is.

Just like David, people often times don't recognize greatness in others. It takes a Godly eye to see the purpose and hand of God at work. David was selected from among his older brothers who looked the role but didn't have the anointing. God is only looking for a willing vessel, someone willing to yield to his command. To do so, you have to live and operate in faith. You can not fear where He is taking you, or question the path you are on.

I took the revelation as a way of clearing the clutter in my head and asked God to clear my heart of whatever had taken root to make me question HIM.

I know many of you are struggling, questioning God about why you are in the place you are in. How much longer will you struggle? Why the people you love the most have the tendency to hurt you with a far greater force than those outside of your inner circle. I've been asking God this for weeks now. What God has finally revealed to me and you (replace my name with yours):

Valarie: Let GO!
Valarie: Love Me!
Valarie: Trust and Rely on Me!
Valarie: I see where you are and I know where you'd like to be but I am preparing you!
Valarie: You've had to depend on you most of your life. Now learn to depend on Me!
Valarie: If I took it all away, would you still trust and praise me?
Valarie: I know the thought I think toward you. Thoughts of peace and not evil to give you an expected end. When I set the ball in motion, all you will have to do is walk into your purpose. I am teaching you to be flexible, allowing your roots to grow firm like the palm tree so as the storms arise, you will have the ability to bend in the mist of the storm without being uprooted. I am perfecting your faith, removing all fears, establishing my hold on you and forcing you to walk, live and move by and in faith! Most of all, I am allowing others to see how you go through this storm so when you come out, it will be a testimony to what I've invested in you. I've never been closer to you, and I will never leave you!

God gives this to me the same as He would to you. I pray you are blessed and encouraged by this word. Don't lose sight of your faith, do lose faith in God, don't lose God through Fear and don't Fear change. You've waited this long...You'd better get ready, Payday is coming after awhile!