Wednesday 25 May 2011

Don't let yourself hold you back!

Wow it's been a long 8 or so months since I wrote on this blog. I've been on a journey of sorts since my dad passed away on 20th September 2010. It has not been easy and there have been times of great sorrow and times of doubting and worry of what the future holds. Everything is indeed different now but it can hold us back or move us on. I am trusting for the latter.

Today I want to address fear holding us back and I am very much speaking from experience. Do you ever feel so overwhelmed by your situation or the plan you feel God has for you? Yes there is excitement there but the thought of it seems too big, too much to handle? I've been feeling a bit like that recently. In 3 weeks I sit my medical school final exams and providing i pass I will be working as a doctor in August. This is something I've worked towards my whole life, I've spent 8 long years at university studying to get to where I am today and yet the thought now of actually doing it fills me with butterflies! Am I ready? Am I competent? What if i kill someone by giving the wrong dose? These thoughts have certainly been on my mind and fear has almost held me back.

I think sometimes the fear of what the future holds can leave us running around in blind panic completely forgetting what it is God has planned for us and that He is with us. In 2 Kings 6 v 15-16 elisha's servant was panicking! The Syrian army was coming to attack israel and they had a huge army! Elisha's servant asked his master what they should do, he was fearful of the army that was surrounding them. But Elisha calmed him by sayin in verse 16 ""do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them". The first thing he asked his servant to do was to stop being fearful. Fear is blinding. It can prevent us from seeing God's bigger picture, from seeing our role in the plan. Also we must remember that fear is a choice. Sometimes it feels like a natural instinct but we can choose not to be fearful by trusting God. Then Elisha reminded his servant that God was with them as many more were with them than the army they faced. That would have been reassuring to his servant but Elisha furthered the reassurance by asking God to allow his servant to see what lies around them. God removed his fear blindness and allowed the servant of Elisha to see the immense Godly army that was around them. There were chariots of fire and everything all around the mountain! This is pretty impressive is it not? But what follows is that Elisha asked God to blind the Syrian army so they ended up fighting themselves. The heavenly armies didn't even need to do anything because the syrians were killing eachother in blind fear but they were there anyway.

So whatever situation you are facing don't be gripped by fear. It will hold you back. I'm speaking to myself as much as you. Ask God to lift your eyes off the situation and onto Him. The fear will fall away and you will find that you can see more clearly God's hand in the situation.

Also so important to remember that God has given us a sound mind over fear! Isn't that great!?! When we fear we have the sound mind in Jesus to cast that fear away! We can back this up with scriptures of God's promises and declarations over us. For me I know that I can do all things through Christ Jesus and I know that His plan for me is for a hope and a future, not for destruction or bad. I know that He is my provider in every sense and not only will be provide materially but also he will Provide knowledge when I lack and discipline.

Practically speaking, if this is something you face today then go find some verses which rebuke fear in your situation. Know that God's heavenly armies are on your side, the battle is the Lord's, and in Him you are MORE than a conqueror! So get out there and start conquering in the name of Jesus! Do not be gripped by the fear of the future that Satan would seek to destroy you with. Satan will tell you that you aren't good enough, that there are better people called to do it, that it's not really God's plan for your life! RUBBISH! If God has called you to it then whatever you are, wherever God has put you, YOU can do it! Because you have God on your side!

Amen! Go kick some fear behind!