Living Free Of Anxiety And Fear
When we let our feelings lead our lives, it’s easy to get stranded on the island of anxiety. So, how can we live free of anxiety and fear?
1 John 4:15-18 15
All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.
What is the picture you have of God when you think about what He is like? Before I came to know Jesus as my personal Savior, I pictured God as big and strong, having a long beard, with a stick raised above His head, hoping I would mees up so he could punish me. It was an exhausting way to live. Always anxious about hiding my sins, while trying to manipulate God and people to get what I wanted. I feared being controlled and yet controlling my life and others became my false identity.
After I believed that Jesus was my Lord, my picture of Him has changed greatly. As a result, I have realized I don’t need to be anxious and live in fear of what might happen to me, or what I might do. I was able to surrender control of my life to my Savior because I trusted Him more than I trusted myself. When I let go of my need to control, I was able to start giving God control over my thoughts and feelings. It’s an ongoing journey that becomes more organic over time.
We don’t have to live in fear of God’s wrath if we know Him. We can also be free to love others without being anxious about them letting us down. We can love each other because He first loved us. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord our love grows and so does our obedience to His word. We can enjoy peace of mind when we trust Him enough to adjust our lives to the truth of His word.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through these verses?
