You Asked For It: Overcoming Fear and Anxiety
2023-04-23
Charles Billingsley
Question: Why is there so much fear and anxiety in our world?
Answer: I think we can all answer that… with pandemics, economy issues,
violence, recent shootings, rampant abuse, drug abuse, and on and on it goes.
Question: Isn’t some fear ok?
Answer: Yes
A. The fear of God
Proverbs 9:10
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Matthew 10:28-31
28 “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
B. Fear of things that will bring us harm.
Question: Am I the only one who feels this way?
Answer: No
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia – Fear of long words.
Anytime fear enters your life you can rest assured it did not come from God
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
Question: What does God say about fear, worry and anxiety?
Answer: So much!! 366 times in Scripture God says “Do Not Fear”.
When fear comes knocking at your door, will faith answer?
Question: How can I defeat my fear?
Answer: With Faith!
Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
A. Decide whose you are.
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
B. Decide who you are.
Matthew 6:26-27
26 “Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?”
Matthew 6:28-30
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?”
Matthew 6:31-32
31 “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
C. Decide what you are going to do
Fear cannot survive in the presence of faith.
Question: How do I overcome my fear?
Answer:
- Go Bird Watching – do what you know to do
- Go flower smelling – Watch how God takes care of His own creation
- Trust your daddy – Leave the rest up to God – Flip the script
Matthew 6:33-34
33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
- Worship Him through it all
Philippians 4:6-7
6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
When you are at rest…you are not in fear.