Fear is crippling to the human psyche. We often freeze, unable to move, feeling stuck in this place of inadequacy and insignificance. We fear failure, a bad relationship, weakness, not being good enough, etc. We often grasp at straws, attempting to bolster our ego and dig our self out of our pit of depression.
Our fear often instills anger in us in our hope to avoid situations that make us feel even more insecure. We are easily provoked when we feel wounded, inadequate, aggravated, irritated, and frightened. We feel frustrated when we fail to control life from hurting us.
Anger is not a valuable or successful tool, however (James 1:20). If we feel anger in our soul, we can stop it from turning into sin (Ephesians 4:26), by analyzing the root of what is causing it to rise up in our soul. Our Father is always quick to help us to discover the source.
Are we neglecting some innate need within our body or soul, are we trying to protect our self in some way, did we permit bitterness to build up in our soul, or are we allowing another person to inflict behavior on us that is unkind, negligent or abusive?
In truth, we will never be good enough on our own. Even our best is less than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:19-23). No amount of anger can protect us, it usually destroys the relationships that we do have, and it initiates physical illnesses in us that could otherwise be avoided.
However, in Christ, we have everything we need to live a life that is fulfilled, sufficient, significant, safe, and productive. Regardless of how insecure our life becomes, we can wait on the Lord, enter His rest, and walk in obedience to His Spirit. We can do all things through Christ in us (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 27:14; Hebrews 4:9-16; Galatians 5:16; Philippians 4:13).
Prayer:
Father God, thank You that Jesus is our anchor in any storm (Hebrews 6:19). He is the solid Rock on which we stand firm in the gale-force winds of adversity (2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Corinthians 10:4). You help us to avoid disillusionment with life, because our expectations are in You, and not in other people or in our circumstances.
Jesus promises us that in this world, we will have tribulation, but He encourages us to count it all joy (John 16:33). Life may attack us from every side, but it cannot crush us or cause us to give up in hopelessness (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Satan cannot steal, kill or destroy us if we draw near to You and resist satanic lies and trials (John 10:10; James 4:7-10). You use our circumstances to drive us deeper under the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91).
Thought for the Day:
Authentic Believers do not need to grieve our losses without hope, because Jesus is our all-sufficiency; His joy is our strength and His character in us gives us the ability to realize that we are not citizens of this earth, but of heaven, which provides us with the passion and compassion to live out God’s will for us while we remain in our fleshly body.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13; John 15:11; Galatians 2:20
