My husband and I had been in ministry for about two years when I started waking up in the night with panic attacks.
One minute I would be peacefully sleeping, and the next I'd be sitting straight up in bed, my heart pounding, my hands shaking, my breathing short and shallow. Fear had begun to control my life. Not only did it disrupt my sleep nearly every night, but my days were becoming clouded by constant worry and anxiety.
I knew that fear was hindering my walk with Christ and making me ineffective in so many areas of my life. As I cried out to God for deliverance and studied Scripture for answers, I began to learn how to put my confidence in God and walk in the peace and joy He intended me to have. Victory over fear did not come immediately. But as I continued to seek God's answers and apply biblical principles to this area of my life, I discovered a freedom and strength I never knew was possible.
We can be set free from the bondage of fear, because we know that in every situation, no matter how difficult, He will show Himself faithful.
If you feel enslaved to fear and anxiety, please know—there is hope! As a child of God, you don't have to live this way. Ask God to show you where your fear is coming from—and keep in mind that sometimes there are physical issues that can contribute to anxiety. Ask Him to show you what practical steps to take (physical, spiritual, or both) to begin your journey to freedom from fear. Don't be discouraged if results don't come instantly. Continue to diligently seek Him and apply His truth to this area of your life, and rest in the knowledge that He will show Himself faithful.
I'd like to share with you the two spiritual principles that were most helpful in my own journey to becoming free from the controlling power of fear:
I'd like to share with you the two spiritual principles that were most helpful in my own journey to becoming free from the controlling power of fear:
1. Look Through a Heavenly Lens
"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future" (Prov. 31:25).
Fretting and worrying about "what ifs" shows a lack of trust in our God.
We envision all the possible trials we might face, but fail to look at them through a heavenly lens and remember the grace, strength, and victory that God offers for every challenge we may walk through. We must remember that God gives us the grace we need for specific trials right when we need it, and not before.
In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom shares a story from her childhood when she told her father about her fear of facing hardship and suffering.
"Corrie," he began gently. "When you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?"
"Why, just before we get on the train," she replied.
"Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of him, Corrie. [When the time comes for you to suffer], you will look into your heart and find the strength you need-just in time."
Rather than worrying about what might happen in the future, we can rest securely in the knowledge that:
- God will turn anything the enemy means for evil into good in our lives (see Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28).
- He will not allow us to walk through trials we are not able to handle (see 1 Cor. 10:13).
- Even when we walk through difficult circumstances, we can triumph through every challenge when we put our hope in Him (see Ps. 25:3).
2. Fill Your Mind with Truth
Whenever you are tempted to dwell on fearful "what if" scenarios, take a moment to replace fearful thoughts with truth.
A great way to start applying this principle is by memorizing some of the Psalms. (Some of my favorites are Psalm 27, 34, 37, 46, 91, and 112.) Whenever you are faced with the temptation to fear, those words of truth can become vital weapons with which you chase away foreboding, anxious thoughts.
Another great principle is to pray for someone whenever fearful thoughts attempt to enter your mind. Praying for someone else takes your focus off yourself and your own fears and turns you outward instead of inward.
Someone once wrote, "You can't stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." We may not be able to keep fearful thoughts from entering our minds, but God has given us the power to take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).
As we draw near to God and believe Him to be exactly who the Bible says He is, we can be set free from the bondage of fear, because we know that in every situation, no matter how difficult, He will show Himself faithful.
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