Living Free - Mar. 26, 2013

Living Free Every Day®

Today's Scripture

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

Thoughts for Today

Fear is a powerful emotion that is difficult to control. It can freeze us in place and make it hard for us to protect ourselves. It attacks our ability to trust. It compromises our ability to relax in relationships. It takes over our thought processes, and we have trouble focusing and learning.

We often repress intense fear. We push it down and cover it up with other emotions like anger, depression, and anxiety. If we grow up with fear as a major organizer of our emotional life, we have difficulty developing trusting relationships. When we do connect with people, we have trouble being natural and genuine.

Consider this … 

Are you plagued with fear? Today's scripture makes it clear that God is telling us that we can triumph over fear. He has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. He also tells us in 1 John 4:18 that perfect love drives away fear. God's love is perfect, and He loves you. As you grasp hold of that truth, you will be able to trust Him more. When you begin to understand how much He loves you, you will no longer experience that devastating fear.

Philippians 4:6 tells us specific steps to take to overcome fear:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV)

Talk to God about everything. Believe that He loves you--and thank Him for His love. Only then will you be able to walk in peace, not fear. Remember that this is not a onetime event. Daily we need to give all our cares and fears to Him, and commit to trusting in His love.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. Help me to trust you more, to accept your perfect love. I know that only then can I overcome fear. In Jesus' name …

These thoughts were drawn from …

Restoring Families: Overcoming Abusive Relationships through Christ by Janet M. Lerner, D.S.W. This study helps to minister to families caught in the cycle of abusive relationships. The curriculum deals with overcoming these abusive relationships through Christ and is recommended for use in support groups and Christian counseling.

• Ministers to families from abusive relationships
• Ministers to victims of family violence
• Deals with wounded emotions
• Deals with control and intimacy issues
• Presents a strong message of Christ as healer of abusive relationships

Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.