OVERCOMING FEAR

3 STEPS TO OVERCOMING FEAR

Joshua was facing one of the scariest times in his life. For many years, he was the protégé and understudy of Moses.  In Joshua 1 we pick up where Moses had just died. The mantle of leadership fell on Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Let’s open our Bible to Joshua 1 and gain some perspective on this story.

 Joshua 1:1-2 

After the death of Moses the servant of the
LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the
son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying:  “Moses My
servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan,
you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to
them—the children of Israel.

Joshua had to make a choice – would he obey the voice of God or not. Because he ultimately did obey the voice of God, the children of Israel were able to inherit the Promised Land.  Just a side note – our obedience or disobedience to God affects not only us, but also those that come behind us – our legacy.  I want to encourage you in your faith to respond to God’s call and overcome the fears that may hinder you from obeying God.  

Here are 3 Steps to Overcoming Fear:

BELIEVE GOD IS FOR YOU

What does that mean? What is that all about? It all comes back to one thing – God is good. He is real good.  He is the perfect Father. He is all knowing, all seeing, all powerful. He has your very best interests in mind. He is not out to extract the joy from your life. He is not out to wreck your life.  God has your best interests in mind.

Matthew 7:11

If you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your
Father who is in heaven give good things to those who
ask Him!

Romans 8:31

What then shall we say to these things? If
God is for us, who can be against us?

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God is for us.

God loves us and has a distinct plan for our lives.

God wants to provide for us.

God is mindful of who we are - and where we are.

God is not going to ask us to do something that will harm us – or others. When God speaks, it is with our best intentions in mind – because He is good.

DON’T BELIEVE A NEGATIVE REPORT

Often the very first thing that you hear when you make a stand to obey and respond to God is the voice of opposition.  The voice of opposition can come against us.  In the Old Testament, Joshua faced this when God called him to go into the Promised Land. Ten out of the twelve spies came back and said “Hey, the inhabitants in the land are big, and we can’t overtake them.” Joshua heeded God’s voice and had the faith to say “God is bigger than any giant, than any obstacle.”  When you stand up to obey many times you may be changing directions – when you change directions you are often going against the current, you are going against the grain.  When you step out to move towards God and fully obey His call and passion for your life, honestly, there is no telling what you will hear.

JUST DO IT!

Yes, just do it. Do it afraid. Hear the voice of God, confirm it in His Word, in prayer and through godly counsel if you need to – but just do it. Don’t live in the fear of what others may say, may think or may do. Just do it.

Why do I want you to learn these steps to overcoming fear? I don’t want you to live in turmoil. I don’t want you in a constant tug of war in your heart and mind. I want you to fulfill the plan of God for your life and nothing would give me more joy than to see you living to give pleasure to God – through living fearlessly.

Together, we can make a difference!

For more information on C3 church and our Legacy vision, visit c3church.com/legacy.