April 17, 2009
Don’t Panic!
Don’t you hate what our emotions can try to do to us when you first get bad
news?! The enemy would like us to respond in panic. He wants us to focus on the
emotions of it all. Oh, he loves to instill fear if he can. Fear attacks our
faith by causing us to doubt which can move us into unbelief. Thoughts so
quickly surface like: Oh no! Now we are doomed! What if…? Doesn’t God love me?
Why did God let this happen? What am I going to do? Fear and doubt can cause us
to panic if we allow it to.
Have you ever received news, and your emotions immediately took you into a
downward spiral only later to find out that it wasn’t the whole story? The enemy
does his best to pull us out of the peace that is ours as our inheritance in
Christ. We can’t prevent the initial feelings, but we can fight back. How?
First and foremost—Don’t Panic! In the Word, this is phrased over and over, “Do
not fear!” Often the phrase “for I am with you” immediately follows.
Second, we must take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. (2
Corinthians 10:5) When we receive bad news, instead of entertaining thoughts
like those above, begin speaking truth. God is not surprised by this news. He
loves me and his plans for me are for my good and not for my harm. He will walk
me through this no matter what I have to go through.
And finally, it is not what am
I going to do, but seeking God
for strategy. Too often when we panic, we react to situations rather than
responding.
Philippians 4:5-7, tell us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This scripture sums it all up.
Don’t panic, take it to God, and get your peace back, so your thoughts cannot
take you into fear and doubt.
The question we must ask ourselves is, how long does it take for us to gain our
peace back?! This is easier to do the more fully you comprehend God’s love for
you.
In Ephesians 3:17-19 Paul prays that, “Christ may
dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what
is the width and length and
depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you
may be filled with all the fullness of God. If we are full of God the
enemy has no room to get in.
1 John 4:18 tells us that
“There
is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves
torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
If we allow fear to have its way, we lack an understanding of God’s love for us.
God is love. There is no love more pure or perfect than His. God does not want
the enemy to torment us with fear! Come to Him to let Him cast it out!
As you
grow deeper in love with the Lord and are more deeply rooted and grounded in His
unsurpassing love for you, you will more quickly recognize the enemy’s tactics
and stop fear and doubt before they have any effect on you.
God Loves
You, so DON’T PANIC!!
You know
the end of the story--we win!
God bless,
Janet
Fairbrother