Daily Nuggets of Grace Part 5 Courageous!Sample

Releasing Unhealthy Fears

People are afraid of snakes, but not all snakes are harmful. Many people fear flying in an airplane, but air travel is, for the most part, very safe. Good swimmers can be afraid of deep water, wondering what might be down there below them.

Fear is an emotional and physical response to something we perceive as dangerous or harmful. A healthy, legitimate fear must have two parts: it must be present and powerful. For example, the fear of swimming in deep water could be legitimate if the person is swimming in shark-infested waters. The fear of something attacking is both present and powerful.

The fear of sharks while swimming in a neighborhood swimming pool is not legitimate. This would be called an unhealthy or irrational fear.

An unhealthy fear lacks presence or power. A fear of snakes may be legitimate if you live in an area with venomous snakes. They are both present and powerful. However, this becomes an unhealthy fear if you live without snakes that can harm you. They may be present, but they lack power. Continuing to fear the harmless snakes results from believing a lie that the harmless snakes will hurt you.

The base of every unhealthy fear is a lie.

Unhealthy fears can consume and overwhelm our thoughts to the point we can’t function well in life. We then miss out on the abundant life the Lord has for us in Christ.

Understanding healthy and unhealthy fears is helpful. There is no shame in being afraid when fear is legitimate. However, unhealthy fears are not based on truth. We still perceive something as dangerous, even though it lacks the power to harm us or is not present.

Our enemy, Satan, wants to paralyze us with fear-filled lies. He is the father of lies. Remember, as children of God, we are never alone, and we have the power to fight the father of lies. We overcome unhealthy fears by standing firm in the truth.

Reflect and Respond

God is right by your side anytime you feel afraid. Discern what kind of fear you are dealing with today. If it is unhealthy, identify the lie behind it. Find scriptural truths to counter that lie. Memorize those truths and repeat them often.

Pray

Lord, you care about all I am afraid of today. Help me to take my unhealthy fears and hand them over to you. I choose to turn to you when I am afraid. I stand in my position as your child and trust you to protect me.