Do You Have God On Speed Dial?

“Half of our fears arise from neglect of the bible.” Charles Spurgeon. That kind of stopped me in my tracks when I read that. My second thought was…it’s probably more than half. God was so good to appoint and anoint scribes to write His words so that generations for the rest of time would have the B.I.B.L.E….Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. So, if we know that the bible has the answers to our problems, why are we so messed up?

I can’t speak for past generations, but I know the one I’m living in is up, down, left…everything except right. We are living in fear of a “pandemic,” afraid of what’s happening in our government, fearful of the higher cost of living or being out of work. We are living in scary times. I haven’t counted for myself, but it is said that “fear not” is written 365 times in the bible. That’s one for each day of the year.

Have you seen lists like the one above? They’re meant to be kind of cute, like a list of emergency numbers you might leave for a baby sitter while you’re away. But as I got to looking at them, even though none of them say “fear” with a relative scripture, if you think about them, they’re all fear-based. Lonely…fear of being alone. Finances…fear of being destitute. Others being unkind…Fear of what others think about you. Do you see where I’m going with this? I think there is a root of fear attached to all our ailments. I’m not saying these individual problems don’t exist or that these scriptures won’t assist if you’re struggling in that area. I’m just suggesting that if we want to overcome all the things that knock us down in life, we MUST first learn to overcome fear. 

I Googled “how to overcome fear,” and the first thing that popped up was not a Christian answer, but I thought the secular answer was interesting when I applied what I know about Jesus. First, learn more about your fear. Google is your friend! Whatever it is that you are afraid of, you’re sure to find it on the internet. Then seek what the bible says about that fear, like the list above. I promise, God knows what you’re going through, and there is something in the bible that He put in place just for it.

Second, use your imagination in positive ways. We must learn to be more positive and quit searching for everything negative in our lives. Optimism is a choice based on trust and faith in our Lord. Psalm 42:5 “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Hope, wait and praise…all words of optimism reflecting a belief of greater things are yet to come.

Third, use your brain in a different way. We have to train our brains by learning what thoughts we want to allow and which we don’t. Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Philippians 4:8 “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” You can control your thoughts, but it takes time and practice.

Fourth, focus on your breathing. God created air with oxygen. He created us with lungs and breathed life into us. Learn to take a deep breath when you are struggling. When we get really worked up over something, our breathing can become strained, which in and of itself can cause MORE problems. Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.” Eccl. 11:10 says “Remove vexation (anxiety) from your heart.” BREATHE!

Fifth, practice mindfulness. This one is so true. When we are mindful of God…His promises to us, His faithfulness, His forgiveness, His blessings…ALL the things He’s done for us in the past…there is little time or room in our brain to think about anything else. Psalm 143:5 “I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done.”

And last, use nature as your therapist. Who created nature? God. So, use God as your therapist! Some only see miracles in the BIG things, but I believe miracles are present all around us if we can just open our eyes with fresh perspective. The sun’s rays coming through the trees, a mama bird feeding her babies, the rain that falls from the sky to nourish all the plants and trees…when I think about these things, I’m in awe of a God who put all these things in motion. These are calming thoughts—thoughts that can wash away fear and anxiety…IF you let them.

“Half our fears arise from neglect of the bible.” Don’t disregard the Word of God. Don’t take advantage of all the work that went into making sure you had a Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.