Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:15 (emphasis added)

A spirit of bondage. The real slavery of fear. Slaves don’t get to walk away when they want to. Slaves don’t get a choice about what they want. When you refuse to have God in your knowledge, when you’ve heard the Word, heard the message, but refuse to let it in, God will give you up to an unprincipled mind (Zephaniah 3:4, Romans 1:28-32). It is YOUR choice. He won’t reject you or abandon you. He’ll be there striving for your soul. But just like when a child is throwing a tantrum, He as the parent will stand back and let you wail. That wail is a reprobate mind full of the fruits of things which are not fitting to participate in: unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderer, backbiting, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, disobedience, breaking covenants, unforgiveness, unmercifulness, and they all come with shackles of fear (Romans 1:28-32). Once you’re shackled, you’re a slave to fear.

You know what really sucks about slavery? The pay. You get done. You toil and strive until you’re broken and weary. Frequently you get beaten for the privilege. What have you earned? Nothing. Fear works the same way. You know what the opposite of prosperity is? Poverty. If prosperity is an improvement of circumstances, what does that make poverty? The reduction of circumstances. A constant, low-key drain. How often have you heard or said something like this: ‘It’s always something. I never get a break.’ or ‘I never seem to get ahead.’ or ‘I was having a great week, so I was just waiting for this. Something always happens.’ Poverty isn’t only the state of being at rock bottom, broken, homeless, addicted, starving, and sick. It’s also the process that got you there. The slow, steady, inevitable, and accepted slide into the gutter.

You might say ‘But I’m not’ and then insert into the blank anything that you like. You’re not addicted. You’re not broken. You’re not starving. You’re not homeless. But if you accept a downward spiral as inevitable, you will be. Only when we stop accepting poverty and turn to the one who can help us can we break the cycle. Because the spirit of poverty won’t stop until you’re dead. Because it IS spiritual. We’re to prosper as our soul prospers (3 John 2). Prosperity is spiritual first and foremost. Poverty? It’s spiritual leprosy. Its nature is to devour. If it isn’t treated with Jesus, the inevitable occurs.

You know what else sucks about slavery? The hours. You don’t get to choose when to work and when not to. You don’t get to take holidays. Rest. Stop toiling. It’s every day, all the time, whenever and whatever your master wants. It’s horrible. Fear doesn’t let you pick when to experience it. It chooses. It brings on the panic attacks. The anxiety bubble. The cloud of depression. The heart palpitations. The inability to talk on the phone, go out in public, or even get out of bed. Some days getting socks on is a victory to call home about. If you could bring yourself to dial the phone. And have a conversation you haven’t rehearsed two dozen times to try and make sure you’ve covered all the bases.

Fear has a lot of babies. They are all terrible afflictions on the mind of humankind. They don’t respect age, circumstance, sex, gender expression, orientation, lifestyle, clothing, or favourite colours. They come when they want, how they want, and last as long as they want — therapy and drugs be damned. Of course, if they can slave you to a therapist or a cocktail of chemicals they’ll be just as happy — and no I am not saying it’s wrong to go to therapy, but I do wonder at the wisdom of going to a different therapist than the Holy Spirit. Why talk about your problems to figure things out with a fellow human who (respecting their education and effort) doesn’t really know more than you do about being human? When you could go to someone who can tell you what happened, how to fix it, how to avoid it in the future, how to fix your thinking, and how to have peace, joy, and love while you do it? Because they MADE humans? God knows more than us, more about us, and everything about what is around us. Why not use His services first?

Fear shackles us, binds us, and throws away the key. Fear and its babies never want to let you go — but they don’t mind changing up who has you in hand at any give time. If you want to escape, to run away and live in freedom, then you need He who can help. Jesus died on the cross to end fear. To eliminate fear’s babies. To wash us clean. Sin left a crimson stain, but Jesus washes us clean again. It’s better than a drug. It’s better than quality, helpful therapy. It isn’t learning to manage it. It isn’t learning to live in-spite of it. It is deliverance from it. Period. Full on loss of bad and full on gain of love, peace, joy, and any and everything else that the Lord can think of. Jesus sets us free. He has a heart for freedom. The Word is medicine to all our flesh (Proverbs 4:20-24).

You see, once you’re in Jesus you’re a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You don’t have to play by the rules of the flesh anymore. You’re a spirit being. With no sin in you. You’re not a sinner saved, you’re a Jesus clone. You WERE a sinner. You ARE saved. That is what MAKES you a Jesus clone. A co-heir (Romans 8:17) and children of the Father (1 John 3:1-3). We don’t have to accept anything of the curse or the flesh. And we can be in the process of sanctification, the process of renewing our mind to think as God does not as we used to as humans (Romans 12:1-2). It is a process and it takes mindful participation. But in the end, you will be free of all that made fallen humanity fallen. You’ll be walking in Jesus, in the will of the Father, and according to His Word.

Here’s a road map to how to get it: “Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name! Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget his benefits, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:1-5). Start today. Start now. Let Him deliver you and break the slavery of fear.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Job 7:17-18

God doesn’t care about your morning breath. It’s true. You can have the most vile, draconian, world ending vapours coming out of your mouth and He will still be there. Every morning. When you open your eyes, He is there to greet you. Eager to hear your voice. More eager for you to hear His. And every moment of every day, He is there to hold your hand, whisper in your ear, and speak to you about His love for you. He is a courter. He loves to court us. Old-fashioned style. With words, deeds, gifts, and avalanches of adoration. He LOVES us. He’s got a lot to do, but He can’t stay away. He is devoted to us. Steadfast in the way that defined steadfastness. Merciful in the way that defined mercy. And He loves us in the way that defined what love is to us. And He inhabits that love. Love is pregnant with His love, and it is pouring over you all day long. Enjoy it, worship Him for it, and maybe say good morning back.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.