F.E.A.R. --- False Evidence Appearing Real

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. - 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

I've been thinking a lot about FEAR lately; and how it can encompass our lives to the point of disabling us from doing things that we know we should, or could, if fear were not a part of our lives.

For me, it's approaching those that I don't know to talk about anything. Example: At a recent Bikers Blessing, our Prayer Teams were to go through the line of bikers and pray for those who asked for prayer. When I heard it was time for us to do this, I started to panic! A huge rush of FEAR came over me, and all these ridiculous thoughts started going through my head, like “Oh My Gosh! I don't know how to pray for these people! What if they want me to walk them through the prayer of salvation? Will I remember how to do that???” and on and on and on…..it was almost debilitating!

I tried to get a hold of myself and tell myself WHERE this FEAR was coming from, and you know what? It took a little while for peace and confidence in Jesus to start taking over! I've led people to Christ before! Why did this happen today!??!!

Another recent event was when I went to talk to my Mary Kay Director. Again, huge rush of FEAR came over me! “What if I don't fit the image she is looking for?” “What if I am not dressed properly?” “What if I start to stumble over my words, like I do sometimes, and she thinks I am not fit to be in her Unit?” And you know what? I honestly believed all of those thoughts….for a while! I entertained those thoughts of FEAR!

I began to pray about this FEAR and I asked the Lord to show me why I was in fear, and what FEAR really was.

FEAR….FALSE Evidence APPEARING Real

False --- Appearing Real

Get that?

FALSE --- APPEARING Real

Appearing in the sense that it only LOOKS real, but it isn't.

False in the sense that it is not real.

The Lord showed me that I had nothing to FEAR, because what I feared was actually FALSE evidence of something that only APPEARED to be Real to me. It really was not real! If it was not real, then where did it come from? I sure didn't come from the Lord, did it? If it didn't come from the Lord, then who did it come from?

FEAR comes from the one that wants to keep you in bondage. It comes from the one that wants to keep you from success, by keeping you in FEAR of actually stepping out to do the things that will lead to success!

If the enemy can keep us in FEAR, and make us believe that fear, we will never succeed at what God intended us to succeed in.

We have to cast those fears aside and train our minds to take captive those thoughts that cause fear in us.

We have to stop believing in what APPEARS to be real, and stop putting our faith in that fear. The more faith we have in the fear itself, the less faith we have in God! Think about that!!

The more we FEED the fears in our lives, the less we feed on what and who God created us to be, in the first place! God created us in HIS IMAGE! Is God a failure? Absolutely not! Then if we were created in HIS IMAGE, why would we think for one minute that we did not have what it takes to be a success, as God designed us to be! We are Victors in Christ! We are not failures if we are truly made in His image!

God did not design us to walk in fear of what the enemy wants to make us think is real. Think about that for a minute. Read it again! One more time……

I feared this woman that I was about to meet would think lesser of me than God does. I feared that she would think that I could never be a success because I may or may not LOOK like a success already. My image was more important to me than what God created me.

I was created in HIS image! Why would I even waste my time caring what this woman thought of me or my image, when the only thing that should matter most to me is what HE thinks of me? I had absolutely nothing to fear!!

This is the message the Lord was giving to me that day! It just kept pouring out into my spirit! I couldn't contain it all! As I was driving down the road while this message was coming, I wanted to pull over on the side of the road and begin writing as fast as I could, so I wouldn't miss anything! It was the most awesome message He could have given me that day! I know I will never be able to completely write it out as He gave it to me that day, but I hope you get the gist of it out of this writing!

From that day forward, I have felt like a new person! I have walked in a confidence that I haven't felt in a very long time! I am happier now. I am at peace now. IF I begin to doubt who I am, I just remind myself that God doesn't make JUNK and I am created in His image! He is not a failure, and by golly, neither am I because I am His daughter! I am HIS DAUGHTER! I cannot be anything the enemy is trying to make me believe I am, because I am the daughter of the Most High King of Kings! You can't get much better than that, can you!! J

The overall message I got out of this was that God LOVES me, and it really doesn't matter what others think of me; or whether or not they think I am a success. Therefore, I have NOTHING to FEAR!! That FEAR was only something that the enemy was trying his best to make me believe was real.

I have to keep reminding myself who I am; and Who is my Father. Nothing else matters to me. And fear no longer walks stronger in my life than my Father did at one time! I put my complete trust in Him, no matter what the enemy tries to make me believe!

True confidence comes from the One who made you! Walk in that! Believe in that! Trust in that!

Contact Christi Wilson at: wandcwilson3@yahoo.com and www.heartbeatworld.ning.com/ChristiakaCH1216