In my past and the past of many I have spoken with over the years there can be fears or phobias that we develop with time. I mention “we develop” because we construct them and give them power over us. These fears eventually turn into patterns of avoidance in which we operate daily without most people knowing. However we know, we are painfully aware of those fears when confronted with exposure to them. We become artful in making excuses for not exposing ourselves to that which we fear. Yet it is not avoiding exposure to the fear or phobia that we need to understand or focus on as much as the lie concerning the fear we have accepted as truth.
When we begin to accept lies as truths we give the those lies credence which is supported by feelings and emotions and overtime develops avoidance behavior. We receive a lie as truth just as Adam and Eve did in the garden. That God cannot be trusted therefore we must act on our own determining our future thus we begin to control our surroundings. Anxious feelings unsureness and unfamiliar will reinforce lies as truth. Over time as we operate in these untruths we develop a pattern of avoidance. This avoidance is a survival mechanism of the flesh and is natural-earthy. Whereas faith is Godly and a supernatural power beyond our flesh that enables us to walk into that which we fear. As we try to step out in faith often times the feelings of anxiety become so intense we fall back to our survival mechanisms and avoid that which we fear resulting in continuing a pattern of avoidance. Plus our feelings of fear reinforce the lie that, God is not helping me, I am on my own, I must do this myself, God has abandoned me”
Repeated survival routines train us to act in avoidance behavior for our survival diminishing our daily activity as we avoid exposure to that which we fear. We become reclusive or isolated as we seek to understand what is happening to us. We seek prayer, healing, medication and more, the list is endless as we substitute trusting the peace and power of God for our own efforts of survival. The devil has not changed his tactics he continues the same since the garden experience. He did the same to Adam and Eve and tried to influence Jesus in the wilderness. Adam and Eve believed the lie and found themselves outside the garden operating in their own strength, clothing themselves with their own avoidance mechanisms because of fear. Luke 8:11,12
This scenario does not have to be our lot. We are of the most high God, blood washed and accepted in the beloved. Jesus is our Lord and Savior. He is for us regardless what our feelings tell us. We are not left to our own devises outside of the garden. Because of Christ we can go boldly into the throne of God. The devil is a liar and wants us to believe a lie so he can take control of the outcome of our daily lives. As a result we begin to pray harder, read the word more or spend hours in secluded worship of God believing we are finding freedom. When in reality we are avoiding and seeking peace through works of the flesh, trusting in our own efforts rather than God’s faithfulness. Not realizing we are working for God’s approval we operate in a behavior to find His peace which becomes more elusive with time leaving us confused and disillusioned as we continue deceiving ourselves into believing we are finding freedom.
Our freedom is to no longer to avoid instead believe God concerning our future and step boldly into the lie fed us from the devil who is the father of lies. These are steps I began choosing to believe in finding freedom from the fears I have experienced.
1. Tell myself the truth that scripture says concerning who I am.
2. Refuse to accept the lie I had so long accepted as truth.
3. Take steps to expose myself to that which I fear if only in small steps.
4. Stand my ground choosing to believe GOD WILL NOT ABANDON ME.
As we begin to see the lie we’ve been accepting as just that a lie and not truth, the battle is really over. Because a lie only has power as we choose to believe and accept it as fact. We actually give the lie power by not resisting it as the devil deceives us into believing them. Once we begin renouncing those lies and choosing by faith to believe the truth God say’s concerning our identity and our future we will be free. We must walk into that which we avoid by exposing ourselves to the outcome. When we do, God will come in great power with a peace which surpasses all understanding and the lie that we have accepted as fact will be exposed for what it is, a LIE.
As we continue in this course of freedom we become amazed after each occurrence of exposure of what we can do. We develop a NEW PATTERN of learned behavior that we can really do it, we can walk into our fear and not expect the worst. We find freedom real true and lasting freedom in God and not in our efforts or works of the flesh. Our boundaries of freedom enlarge increasingly with each exposure.
Exposure is our answer even if little by little rather than avoidance. Utter and complete surrender to God for He will not fail us.
If we only endure each occurrence while seeking escape or in our efforts remove the anxious stimuli we will continue in avoidance behavior. However, if we stay until His peace comes and IT WILL COME, we will be free. With each exposure we gain assurance that WE CAN do all things in Christ. God loves for us to abandon ourselves to Him whereas complete survival is in His hands. Because it Glorifies Him when He and He alone is our savior, deliverer and Lord. Nothing can separate us from His great love when we cast ourselves fully into His Hands where He exceedingly and abundantly overwhelms us with Himself. We must believe He can and will move heaven and hell for us. Because He loves us He will save us. Trust Him with the outcome and reject the lie.
~ Michael Smith
No comments:
Post a Comment