4 Abundant life ~Overcoming Fear
4 Abundant life Blog #10
Overcoming Fear
Fear is a protective mechanism that is wired to our DNA. It senses danger and causes the fight or flight reactions. This protective mechanism can serve us well at times, or it can keep us from experiencing a life of abundance. This is one of the reasons the Bible mentions fear and ways to overcome it! The Bible’s most reiterated command is “Fear not.” It appears 365 times, one for every day of the year.
How does fear keep us from abundance?
When fear is defined as “False Expectations Appearing Real”. For example, if you are afraid of losing your job for no really objective reason (e.g., low performance reviews, declining company profits, etc.), then this becomes a false expectation appearing real. While you will not likely lose your job in this example, you will lose the ability to enjoy work and life in general because of the fear.
When fear replaces faith. Faith is defined as “confident trust”. When you no longer confidently trust someone (e.g., friend, spouse, co-worker, etc.), fear consumes our thoughts and actions. Relationships stagnate, decline, or cease when “fear” is involved. This is one of the main reasons the Bible emphasizes “Fear not”. If we fear our heavenly Father, the relationship will not grow.
Fear and Worry are close cousins. They give us something to do, like rocking back and forth in a rocking chair, but they will not get us anywhere! A genuine fear of success is one of the most powerful weapons the enemy uses to rob us of the inheritance promise of abundance. Fear keeps us small.
So how do we overcome fear?
Limit our focus on fear. Make a conscious decision to change our thoughts and self-talk. Remember, what we focus on expands. Do we want fear to expand or faith? Make it small. Iota is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet, a small speck. Make something we irrationally fear small. Give it “iota status”. For example, “My fear of relationships is nothing more than a speck, an iota”.
Limit the magnitude of fear. What is the worst thing that can happen? We might be rejected, or hurt for a limited amount of time; but if it does not seriously harm us physically or emotionally then fear stays small. Do not play the “what if” game…“what if _____ (fill in the blank negative fear thought).
Expect greater things. Doubt precedes fear or faith. If we doubt God really has our best interests in mind, then fear occurs and abundance is limited. Doubt leads to fear when we are unwilling to take a risk on God. However, if we believe He is who He says He is and means what He says, faith (even a very small amount…the size of a mustard seed) will lead us to expect and experience great things…abundant things!
Project an image of success and hold on to that image. Everyone can feel afraid of something from time to time. However, make a conscious choice not to stay afraid. If we can project an image in our mind past the situation driving fear to a future point in time that is peaceful, successful, and abundant, we can conquer fear. James Allen stated, “He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure.”
We talk more about overcoming fear throughout our book 4 Abundant Life. Once again, we look forward to hearing about your experiences of overcoming fear and experiencing life abundantly! Drs. Eric and Joanna Oestmann
