God’s Presence Breaks Off Fear and Worry

There is fear all around us — fear of disease, fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of ____________. We tend to imagine the worst possible scenario. We worry about our work, finances, health, family members, friends, government, leadership and more. Even the media incites worry about anything and everything. Fear and worry is all around us and if we’re not careful, it will engulf us and dictate how we live.

Worry is the world’s way of dealing with trouble. The problem with worry is that it doesn’t fix anything, it wastes time and it focuses on the problem, rather than the One who is able to provide the answers. In order to change how we deal with trouble in our lives, we need to see fear and worry as it is — worry is sin, and it is used as a tool of the enemy of our souls.

In Matthew 6:32-34, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount indicates that worries dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, our heavenly Father already knows all our needs and our job is to seek God’s ways of right living and God will give us everything we need, so don’t worry. Earlier in Matthew 6:25-27, Jesus taught that worry is a waste of time and it’s ineffective. Jesus points us to the reality that our heavenly Father cares for, values and provides for his creation — whether it is birds, flowers or humans!

I Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” We are not meant to carry the burden of worries and cares, as it can negatively affect our health. Carrying these burdens can result in anxiety, muscle tension, and other disease process. When we choose to let go of the weight of our worries and cares, we let go of the false sense of control that we think we possess, because in reality, we have little if any control over circumstances. That sounds scary, but this truth can be liberating, as it releases you from the burdens, and makes room for another use of your mind — to set your mind on God, our burden-bearer, the One who is capable of handling our worries.

In my journey to renewed hope, I experienced profound care and love from my heavenly Father, as I actively gave my worries and cares to God through prayer. I learned how to use my imagination for good, rather than for worry, as over the years, I had become an expert worrier. Worry was a tool that Satan used to try to consume me and stop me from living an abundant life. Perhaps you too can relate, and if so, be assured, that you can change this bad habit/sin response as you trust God to enable you to let go of worry and fear.

In one of my Holy Spirit adventures, I encountered Jesus in such a tender and loving way, as I used my imagination to “see” Jesus caring for me and my concern. When my focus shifted from my worry and fear of losing my beloved cat, to seeing Jesus as the carrier of my burden, the fear lost its grip on me, and the very presence of Jesus filled me with such peace that has stayed with me. The truth of God’s Word and the experience of God’s presence breaks off fear, anxiety and worry, as you trust and believe Him.