The Stranglehold of Fear
Fear. Human beings on this planet walk around every day carrying around all manner of fears within them. You may be experiencing fear of not having enough money to pay all your bills each month. You may fear getting sick or injured and if you are sick or injured you may also fear falling deeper into the pit of sickness or further injury. You may fear being impotent in your ability to intercede and help someone you desperately desire to help. You may fear being stuck in a dead end job that you hate but continue with solely because you need the money. You may fear not being loved by those that you love. Whether on the surface or hidden deep within you, fear is a wretched companion. It delights in keeping a stranglehold on you for as long as it can. Dealing with constant fear is most assuredly NOT the way our lives were meant to be. You were created to live in the fortress of the Kingdom of God within you, free of the stranglehold of fear.
Yirah
Yirah is the Hebrew word which was translated into the Bible as “fear”. However, as is the case with a number of Hebrew words, it can be translated in more than one way. The word yirah is often translated in a purely biblical context as reverence. Yirah represents a deep, respectful and holy awe of the ultimate magnitude of God rather than fright. Experiencing the yirah of God can denote a sense of being overwhelmed by the Divine Presence within you.
The well-known scripture verse from the book of Proverbs states (as translated): “the fear (yirah) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. This foundational verse emphasizes that true understanding in life begins with a deep reverence, respect and “letting go” to God’s authority in your life, rather than being terrified. I believe that “letting go” part is what really terrifies human beings. That is precisely what Mr. Fear is counting on.
Can Faith and Fear Co-Exist?
Short answer – not really. They can briefly rub shoulders when you run into a threatening situation. Faith however is firmly rooted in love – love of Divine Intelligence, Divine Wisdom, the Divine Presence that we call God. Scripture states with clarity – “There is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear.” If your sincere focus is on the Kingdom of God within you, whenever Mr. Fear attempts to hijack your thoughts, he will be unceremoniously cast out by your faith in God.
Joshua 1:9 states “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Faith and fear are opposing forces within you. Faith is the remedy against Mr. Fear.
Conceive. Believe. Receive.
The Holy Spirit of God, at your request, plants the seed of faith in your mind. Thus you conceive the thought of just trusting God, which extinguishes the fear. You then tenaciously hold on to that thought of faith until it becomes belief. Once you believe, truly believe, as in “it is done” belief, then you receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit – peace, strength, joy.In Mark 5:36, Jesus states, “Do not be afraid, just believe.” Your belief comes from your faith. Faith is defined in scripture as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen”. Make no mistake about this – you live in two worlds simultaneously – the seen world and the unseen world.
Prudence Versus Fear
There are certain instances where the quality of being prudent may be confused with fear. Let’s look at the definition of the word “prudent”. Prudent describes being wise in action or judgment regarding the practical matters of life. It means exercising good judgment, showing foresight and managing your resources with care to avoid unnecessary risk.
When you avoid walking alone in a bad neighborhood at three in the morning, this is not fear. It is being prudent. When you say you are fearless and you dive into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim, you are merely being foolish and reckless, not fearless. To do so would be a total lack of prudence.
The Kingdom of God Within – Your Fortress Against Fear
One of those mystifying truths that Jesus came out with was the statement that if you try to save your life, you will lose it and if you lose your life, you will save it. On the surface it may sound like doubletalk. If you take the time however to actually dive deeper into the study of the true meaning of that statement, it becomes crystal clear.
“Saving our lives” means stubbornly hanging on to our own self-centered ways, attempting to serve God on our own terms. Mr. Fear absolutely loves when that happens. It gives him easy access to the thoughts of your mind and feelings of your heart. To nurture and hold on to this wretched character never ends well. When you make the fateful decision to choose to give up total control of your precious life to God, by “losing your life”, you will receive access to the peace, power and joy of the Kingdom of God within you. When you persistently seek the Kingdom of God, which is within you, Mr. Fear will beat a hasty path to the exit and look for “easier pickings”.
There are only two human emotions – fear and love. All negatives spring forth from fear. All positives spring forth from love (which is God). Fear leads to death. Love leads to life. Choose wisely. Choose life.
All Roads Lead To Rome
Manifesting things and achievements is good and demonstrates the power of the Almighty Force of Universal Mind that we call God. Divine Intelligence created us with the full ability to manifest good things. God delights in our good achievements. Manifesting peace and joy and strength thru the Kingdom Of God is “goodest” however. Yeah, I understand “goodest” is not really a word. I think however it best exemplifies the concept of going beyond good. Going beyond the artificial barriers the controllers of this world have erected to keep you in their control.
In the days of the Roman Empire it was said “all roads lead to Rome”. Thus it is true with our very lives here on this planet. All good and righteous manifestations in your life come from the One True Power and Presence – God. Recalibrate your daily activities to make it a top priority to bust free of the stranglehold of fear. Do this through dwelling in the KIngdom of God within, your personal Fortress of joy, peace and power. Joy of soul, Peace of mind, Power to manifest. All from the power and presence of the Holy Trinity that is within you.
Conceive. Believe. Receive.