Many of us have heard that there are 365 passages in the Bible telling us do not fear. One for each day of the year. Fear can be crippling and it can paralyze us from doing the work God has called us to do. I have a personal testimony about overcoming fear. Since I was a child I have had a fear of guns. It has been something that I have always told myself one day I would conquer. One day I would actually fire a gun and put that fear behind me. So a date was set as part of a sending off of one of the sons our family is really close to. He was going to be leaving for boot camp in the Air Force and had wanted all of us to go to the shooting range with him. We were there with well trained military veterans and I had no doubt we would be in a safe environment and in very capable hands. I was doing okay, that is until the moment we got there. I was suddenly overcome with fear and anxiety. I was, crying, shaking, the whole bit. I felt like a complete idiot that I could not hold myself together. Embarrassed but unwilling to retreat back to the car in defeat, all I could do was stand there and watch as others were taking aim at their targets. I knew if I returned to the car I would only end up defeated by this fear, so at that moment all I could do was hold my ground and just stand there. I had the complete support of every person there, and despite my total breakdown they all supported me and loved me no matter what I decided to do. Two of my best friends and sisters in Christ as well as my loving husband stood with me and prayed with me. They command the fear and anxiety to leave and that boldness would take its place. Eventually, I was standing there with that gun in my hands being taught everything I needed to know about that gun and how to operate is safely. I was still nervous, but after the prayers I received I was calmer and steadfast in the task I had at hand. The gun was then loaded and handed back to me. I took aim at my target and fired. After handing the gun back I broke into tears again. Relieved that it was over and amazed that I had actually overcome that long time fear. The guys went and grabbed the target and brought it over to show me. Turns out I hit my target, and I hit him right in the mouth. For me this was significant. I had silenced the enemy and the lies that he speaks. I had shut his mouth with that shot! I had overcome that fear that had been rooted in me since I was a child. I had defeated the enemy and put an end to his lying mouth. So how was it that I was able to overcome this fear even after having a complete melt down upon arriving there? Well 1 John 4:18 explains that. "There is no fear in love; but perfect loves casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." I was surrounded by perfect love that day with all of those who were there with me. There was no judgment or condemnation while I was in melt down mode. The perfect love of Jesus that resides in each of those wonderful people God has placed in my life that were there with me that day to surround me, support me, pray with me, and contented with me for victory as I took the steps to overcome that fear. We all need people like this in our lives! I want to be a living example of that 1 John 4:18 scripture. I want to be one that shows others perfect love so I can pray for and encourage them to overcome their fears. I also want to have no fear found in me - I want to be made perfect in love. Made perfect in the love of Jesus Christ that resides in me to the extent that it radiates from me and touches all of those around me and they experience the love of Jesus. Does fear have a grip on you? Let the perfect love of Jesus cast out those fears. And remember, we do not have to overcome our fears alone. Copyright 2015 Christine Edwards
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