5 Days Of Navigating Hard Times: A Prairie DevotionalSample

Believing A Lie

“I know that what I’m afraid of is not out there— it’s inside me.” — Adam Kendall

Fear is a liar. It creates unthinkable scenes in our heads and tricks us into thinking they are true. They aren’t real threats, but we struggle to differentiate between fear and reality. Adam, a blind man, recognizes the difference. He knows fear isn’t in the storms of life that he can’t see; it comes from within. My problem usually isn’t what’s happening; it’s believing a lie.

Shortly after getting married, I found myself struggling with irrational fears. I never wanted to be alone, especially at night. If my husband knew he’d be late, I’d have to make plans or resort to being scared. There wasn’t any reason to be frightened. We lived in a safe neighborhood, and the locks on our doors and windows worked just fine. Maybe it’s that my mind wasn’t a safe place.

Our minds have a way of recounting every story or scary movie depicting our fears. Satan works like that—grabbing hold of our thoughts, making things we have heard or seen seem real. And then we are paralyzed with fear, as if a frightening person really is at the back door. The only culprit is fear, hijacking our minds.

I didn’t know it at the time, but my twin sister also dealt with fear. We talked about it on a weekend sisters’ trip. She convinced me that living with fear might be worse than actually facing danger. Standing up to your thoughts and challenging their validity takes the power away from the evil one.

The first thing I do is command, out loud in a strong voice, the creator of all lies to leave my mind. I pray for the helmet of salvation to guard my thoughts. If I’m a child of God, what can man do to me? Then I ask for the courage to face my fears. With a hefty flashlight in hand, I find out if there’s reason to panic. In addition to illuminating the darkness, the flashlight could double as a great club, if needed.

When we realize that fear comes from within, we can be confident the way Adam was. Our minds are stronger when we trust Jesus to protect us. Give Him the power over your thoughts. Living without fear frees us, like Adam, to fully live.

Does fear battle with reality in your mind? How do you overcome fear? Do you use the helmet of salvation to guard your thoughts?