Think and Grow Wiseनमुना

“Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.” Napoleon Hill

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

On our final day together, I want to dive deep into fear. Napoleon Hill gives a masterclass on fear in his book Think and Grow Rich. He titles the chapter, The Ghosts of Fear.

I want to remix Napoleon’s masterclass with the Biblical principles so you can defeat fear while you Think and Grow Wise.

Let me share with you the six basic fears. As you read them, think about how these apply to your life.

• Poverty: The fear of poverty
• Criticism: The fear of criticism
• Ill Health: Fear of getting sick
• Lost love: Fear of your spouse or friends leaving you
• Old Age: Fear of poverty, loss of freedom, and disease
• Death: Fear of what happens next. The unknown

Every one of these fears is simply fear with a different mask.

It’s a great reminder that anything which brings fear is not from God. God is love and love is peace along with all the other fruits of the spirit.

God also brings power, love, and self-control as I mentioned above in 2 Timothy 1:7. This is why the scriptures are so enlightening when it comes to any type of fear.

If you are battling with the fear of poverty, what does the Bible say about it?

Many times poverty can come in the form of debt. This is why eliminating debt is so important and why the devil uses it against you.

The Bible also speaks about how you spend money, invest, give, and what God will do for those who follow his Word. All of these scriptures below will destroy all fear as it pertains to poverty.

Know them, use them, and apply them.

Proverbs 22:7: Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

Proverbs 21:20: The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.

Proverbs 3:9-10: Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Luke 12:15: Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

2 Corinthians 9:8: And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

What are these verses speaking to you?

Reflect on them so you can transform these fears into faith for your future.

The second fear is the fear of criticism. I like to think of this one as the fear of man. It robs you of creativity, confidence, and courage. Let’s see what the scriptures say about destroying this one.

Proverbs 29:25: The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Psalm 56:4: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 118:6: The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Has the fear of man been running your life?

Are you ready to transform these fears into faith for your future?

What do you need to let go of?

Who do you need to forgive?

The third fear is the fear of sickness in your body.

Exodus 15:26: Saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”

Psalms 107:20: He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

Psalms 102:3-4: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

What do you need to speak over your body?

What does healing look like for you?

What does it look like to let go of this fear?

The fourth fear is the fear of lost love. This can look like fear of losing your spouse (death or divorce), your friends, or someone close to you.

Colossians 3:14: And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

What is love speaking to you right now?

What does it feel like to know God is love and you have God in you?

Who do you need to forgive?

What do you need to let go of?

The fifth fear is the fear of old age. This fear arrives in the form of poverty, a loss of independence, and health issues.

Psalms 92:4: They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,

2 Corinthians 4:16: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Isaiah 40:31: But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Psalms 37:25: I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

Deuteronomy 34:7: Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.

Psalms 91:6: “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

What fears about your old age do you need to let go of?

What does trusting in God look like for you?

What faith do you need to add to your daily life?

What words do you need to begin saying over your life?

What is the Spirit speaking to you?

The sixth fear is the fear of death. This can be one of the scariest fears of all. However, God’s Word gives you absolute certainty of your eternal destination.

John 14:1-3: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Romans 6:5: For if we have been united with [Jesus] in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44: So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

Phillippians 3:20: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

What is the Spirit saying to you about your fear of death?

What do you need to do personally?

Have you accepted Jesus to be King and Lord of your life?

If you have not, and you know your time is now, repeat this prayer.

Jesus, I want you to be Lord of my life.

Please forgive me for my sins and unbelief.

I want you to lead and guide me.

I surrender to you.

Make me new. Amen.

As you Think and Grow Wise, these fears will be eliminated, and wisdom will guide you into a new stratosphere.

God is in you, therefore you have all the gifts and tools you need to become everything in your heart.

If any of this was impactful for you, please let me know. Feel free to email me or send a message on Instagram.

If you feel like God is leading you into higher levels of Spirituality, I’d love to challenge you and join my Spiritual Accountability Group, take one of my courses, or look into 1-1 coaching. You can find more about it at anthonythompson.org