Find peace through the Lord

When you say the word fear, most people?s minds conjure up images of spiders, snakes, and maybe the occasional mouse. For others they have flashbacks of high school speech class or book reports delivered in front of the entire class. Still others have fears that are even more deep-seated. It is estimated in the United States over 50 million individuals suffer from some sort of fear or anxiety-related issue. Think about that for a moment. Every day is Halloween, only without the candy. Waking up with in a wave of fear that holds you captive is a normal occurrence. Paranoid preconceived ideas tarnish friendships and make relationships almost impossible. It is described by many as a consuming feeling of dread. Fear is very real and many people suffer their entire lives without ever having any relief. In the Bible, we read this passage in 2 Timothy chapter 1 that God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love and a sound mind. When we read that, we can glean some amazing hope.

When we recognize the source of fear, we can combat it. When we begin to understand the spirit that God does give us, we can and will overcome it. Fear of failure, fear of letting someone down, fear of not being good enough, all these are fears with one common thread. These fears discredit the creator that made you in his image. We are creations of God plain and simple. When we recognize ourselves as such, we begin to see ourselves as God sees us and man?s opinion is overshadowed by God?s truth. God gives us power to overcome any adversity. That may sound cliche to you but it is the truth. With God all things are possible. He gives us the power to overcome by knowing that we are loved by him and he wants a relationship with us. Do you notice the last two things? Love and a sound mind are amazing. Looking at others with love changes the way we evaluate things and people. It steadies our mind and helps us to react appropriately. 1 John 4 says Perfect love casts out all fear. When we experience the perfect love of Christ, we can rest easy and have a sound mind because he is in control and we are his creation.

So how do I find this peace? First, find the Lord. Communication with him is key. Prayer does change things. 2. Learn about him. Reading scripture is not like reading some reference book. It is a letter to you from God. It helps you understand who he is. Lastly, finding a body of believers to do life with . When you find a church, you find a group of people that are there to help you and connect with you. Forget the "go it alone" mentality. Jesus walked with the disciples and even taught on the value of the community. If you don?t have a community of faith that you are a part of or you are curious about learning more, come experience the community here at Washington First Assembly. If it's been awhile for you attending church go back and reconnect. God has never turned his back on you. Be blessed.