Have you ever noticed that what you focus on grows bigger in your mind?
Recently I woke up in the wee hours of the morning thinking fearful thoughts. The night before, our family had watched a classic thriller, The Day of the Jackal. We had fun watching, but guess what this “Faith Spilling Over” woman was thinking about when she woke up at 3:00 a.m.? I was counting out how many people the “Jackal” had murdered.
You can probably guess I had trouble going back to sleep. By today’s standards, the movie was fairly harmless. But as I replayed in my mind how the main character did away with each person, a vague uneasiness settled over me.
Know what helped me? My Bible.
I pulled out my Bible, and the Holy Spirit brought the Word to life. Soon God’s greatness and love grew bigger in my mind than my restless anxiety. Peace returned. I lay back down and went back to sleep.
Satan will pull on our fear strings any chance He gets.
The news we see every day on television is more chilling than my 1973 suspense flick: the shooting in Florida or the Istanbul bombing. Dwelling on horrific news makes God’s love and power start to look small. We get the unsettling feeling that the world’s not as safe as we thought.
Whatever we focus on grows bigger in our minds.
What’s your greatest fear? Illness? A car accident? Losing your job? Are you scared your kids will get in with the wrong crowd? Maybe the people from the gym or your new Bible study group don’t really like you? Most of us have plenty to worry about.
God’s Word offers wisdom when we struggle with fear:
As I read this, three steps for fighting fear with faith come to mind:
1. Stop Fear in its tracks.
Stand on guard and recognize Satan’s attack on your mind through fear. Fear makes us forget God. Doesn’t that sound like what Satan wants? We forget God’s care for us. We focus on negative circumstances and expect bad outcomes. Our best bet is to stand guard and stop our thoughts when they start down the fear track.
2. Shift Your Focus
When fear creeps into our thoughts, we need to change our focus. Our verse tells us to stay our minds on God. How do we do that when fear knocks at the door? The only way I know is to start declaring God’s Word. Call to mind scripture verses that emphasize God’s nature. Copy them down, put them on sticky notes, put them on your phone, read them out loud, and memorize them. Do whatever it takes to put God at the forefront of your thoughts.
3. Choose Trust
Our Everlasting Rock is trustworthy, so let’s affirm our trust in Him. Declare His Sovereign power over each situation you’re worried about. If you’re scared your project or presentation at work will fail, start praying for God’s help. Each time that fear comes to mind, pray. Affirm and declare that you trust He will help you.
Fear makes us forget God and His care for us. Faith focuses on His love and power. We can fight fear with faith when we shift our focus towards God. When we keep our thoughts fixed on God, he keeps our hearts at rest in Him.
Now it’s your turn: What fears are you facing? Does the news have you scared? How do you choose faith?
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Good advice, and I needed this reminder just now. It is so easy to allow our fears to become our focus rather than God. I love those verses from Isaiah.
I love these verses too, Carly. May they become real in your life. 🙂 (And in mine.)
Betsy, I love how your post and Holly’s dovetailed today. Good words for my heart.
And thanks for lifting up the Word of God as the weapon for fighting fear. Sometimes, I think, we wish for something more “creative” to say or to offer as an answer to the fear and uncertainty of this life, when God has spoken. (Amazing! God has spoken!)
Yes, I thought the same thing when I read Holly’s post. It reminded me all over again. Yes, we need to equip ourselves with the Word of God.
Just what I needed today, Betsy! Thank you!
Blessings, sweet Micah!
Your words are ones I need to read over and over. I have periods of times when fear becomes bigger than my faith in God. It is in these times of weakness that I know turning to God is the only thing that will keep me focused. Stopping fear in its tracks is the one thing that we need to do immediately. I almost think you needed to highlight and bold that point as big as possible, at least for me. Thank you for truth and for reminding us that God is always bigger than our fears.
I’m so glad you were encouraged, Mary. That means a lot to me. I’m praying for you right now. I think I know just how you feel! that’s why I wrote this to myself.
LOVE that Isaiah passage. I think I’ll just simply soak in it ALL.WEEK.LONG. You’re such an encouragement, my friend. And I’m glad to hear that a 1973 thriller has nothing on the power of God. Fear never will. And I think that’s probably why I don’t watch news often anymore. There’s much negative, but very little life-enriching, God-glorifying good news. Even the internet is full of fear-filled stories. I’ve had a conversation with myself recently about one particualr search engine and it’s negative stories. Time to quit getting lulled in by them. Be careful little eyes….fear would love to have you. Love the truth and encouraging hand of guidance you’re offering this morning, Betsy.
It’s true, Kristi. I try not to pay too much attention to the news either. I’ve been soaking this Isaiah verse in myself and plan to continue! Praying for you now, Kristi! You spread good news around, that’s for sure!
These are good words. I was so anxious last week about my kids’ graduations, how everything would go, how they would behave and handle the crowds and expectations. I was waking up every morning with a feeling of dread — such an awful feeling. And my mind was constantly running over possible scenarios: “What’s the worst thing that could happen? And what do I do if that happens?” etc. The events all went really well and I look back with relief and gratitude. But NOT feeling the anxiety is really a challenge for me. I think sometimes you just have to exercise trust even in the middle of those feelings. The words that the father of the epileptic boy said to Jesus seem to be true of me most days: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”
You had a big week last week, Jeannie. I’m glad everything went well, but I can relate to that anxiety. I also often ask myself “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Sometimes it helps me when I do. I reflect on how God will still be God, and He’ll still be with me. I love that unbelief prayer too! Pray it myself ALL THE TIME!
We all need to hear these kinds of encouraging messages more often, Betsy. I know God does not want us to live in fear, and I’ve wasted too much time there myself. It’s still a struggle for me, but I’m grateful for the options the Lord gives us to change our thoughts to better things. Thank you for sharing this!
Yes, it’s a struggle for me too, Lisa, on lots of different levels. Let’s keep our minds stayed on Him this week! He has the power to keep our minds at rest, EVEN in the world we live in.
Yes, it’s a struggle for me too, Lisa, on lots of different levels. Let’s keep our minds stayed on Him this week! He has the power to keep our minds at rest, EVEN in the world we live in.
Amen to fighting fear with faith! I read recently that focusing on the problem (fear) it’s a form of worshipping that fear instead of looking to the Lord. Pretty interesting!
I guess worship is one way of making something big in our minds, maybe? That is interesting.
Yes! To all this, Betsy! You are such an encourager! I have wasted a lot of time worrying and being frightened about things that never came to pass. Focusing on God frees me to live fully! xo
Yes! Love this post, Betsy. We have to always choose trust. Always. <3
Amen, Lauren!
Betsy … claiming the simplest of verse in the dead of night or when tossing around before sleep has been a huge help. Let’s hear it for the perks of memorizing Scripture as a child … and having recall decades later.
Beautiful words of life planted deep within the heart never fail us …
Amen, Linda. Somehow in the middle of the night, I have to get my Good Book out because my memory never works at that hour. 🙂 But yes, at other times of day I also live the benefits of memorized scripture. Blessings to you, friend.
Betsy, I’m the same way. I find whatever I put in my mind particularly before I go to bed affects me all night. If concentrate on thankfulness and God’s Word before I go to bedI wake up feeling pretty good. Now knowing this you would think I’d do it all the time, but of course I don’t.
I’ve been thinking about you and praying your safety.
Hugs,
Christy
Thanks so much for your prayers, Christy. I appreciate it so much. I feel safe in the shadow of His wing. And yes, it’s always a good idea to read something uplifting before bed, isn’t it? I don’t do it all the time either!
Betsy, such good thoughts. And Isaiah 26:3-4 is one of my favorite passages. I pray it over others often. I just don’t always remember to pray it for myself. 😉 Although, this is usually the verse that comes to mind when fears try to leave me shaking in the middle of the night (or when I’m trying to fall asleep).
Your #2 suggestion is so good. When we see fear beginning to come in, we can stop encouraging it to grow by shifting our focus to God’s word. Loved this one especially. One thing I read a long time ago, is that fear and faith cannot both occupy my heart. Only one will prevail. And I get to choose which one prevails. 🙂 I’m choosing faith.
Wow that is excellent, Jeanne. I’m going to post your comment on my FB page later this week. Is that all right with you? So encouraging! I’m choosing faith along with you, friend.
Hello Betsy,
That’s a great reminder for me. Trust and faith are the important part of our life. We should choose them always.
Amen! God bless you.
~Dr. Diana
Isaiah 26.3 — one of my favorites. It focuses me.
Oh yes, Susan. It does for me too.
Oh can I ever relate! I have to be very intentional about what I watch because I’m so tenderhearted and things can take up residence in my mind and heart very easily! I didn’t realize it until just now but sometimes I am on guard so much that I forget to fix my mind on him instead of being on guard…duh! Thanks for your words!
Thanks for sharing, Kylie. Keeping our minds fixed in the right place is a challenge, isn’t it?
I get anxious too. I know to trust God, but those lies call out to me louder sometimes than the truth. I love to personalize verses and put my name or the word I in them.
Sorry you couldn’t sleep!
That is a great idea to put our names in the verses, isn’t it, Sarah? I do that too!
Isaiah 26:3 is one of my most favorite verses. Love this post, Betsy. I’ve woken up several nights recently out of fear from something I’m dreaming about! Thankful for a whole bunch of verses and a Bible next to the bed, plus time with the Lord before and after bed. Because all of that makes it so I can easily reach out and touch my stronghold, refuge, and safety- HIM. Helps me remember faith not fear. Grateful for these points you make and the way the Lord is with us and guarding us! As for my fear challenge: sensing that change is impending and not knowing what it looks like. But He knows!!
Blessings, friend!
May the Lord bring peace to your dreams, friend! May He surround you with His presence and give you a bigger picture of Him, our stronghold, refuge, and safety. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Such good reminders, Betsy! It would appear as if we have much to fear in our world today, until we look at His word and it all get put back into perspective! Have a blessed week!
Yes, June! I love what you’re saying. Looking at God puts the world in perspective.
I absolutely love that you pulled out your Bible in the middle of the night, Betsy. I so want to be that kind of woman. I wake up in a panic far too often. Fear dictates my life at times, but I’m struggling to get in the habit of grabbing my Bible, even knowing how much it will help me. Thanks for the inspiration. These 3 simple steps you shared are an excellent plan of attack.
May the Lord increase your peace, Candace, and give you a bigger picture of Him. I know what that struggle with fear is like, friend. For me it’s not so much fears over something immediate, but fear about the future, etc. God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and sound mind. Praying that for you now, sister.
True, true, true!
Thanks Betsy for guiding me back to my source of Comfort and Confidence. My Jesus. The Name above all names.
You bless me sweet friend
Thanks so much, Susan. You’re a blessing to me too. Jesus. He’s our umbrella against every storm.
Find fear with faith. Truth there my friend.
I do find whatever I go to bed with my mind on can keep me awake or make me dream about it. Scary movies I don’t like, but I’m married to a man who loves them.
Oh I never watch scary movies either. Just sometimes suspense. I’m really sensitive that way. 🙂 Any movie at all can keep me awake! I appreciate you, Debbie.
A good reminder, friend. I did a post once on how fear can birth faith, if we let it. And I’ve found I can’t even watch Law & Order SVU right before I go to bed! #Grace&Truth
I hear you on Law & Order. Believe it or not, I’ve never seen it, but I suspect it would affect me too. Blessings, Karlene. Thanks for reading today.
What a good word and timely word, Betsy!
I love this post.
Sharing it all around today.
Hope you have a blessed day~
Melanie
Thank you, Melanie. You are such a blessing, friend.
Isn’t it surprising how God confirms His Word to us? I read this Isaiah passage yesterday and I saw it this morning too. I especially loved the part about God being our everlasting strength (according to KJV). It brought so much peace to my soul. Responding with the Word of the Lord is by far our greatest weapon. I also have a fear for the future. But, God has told me to trust Him. And, even though the situation is scary and uncertain, I have chosen to trust Him. Jeremiah 32 vs 27 says nothing is too hard for Him. I hold onto His promises, knowing fully well that He is dependable.
Thanks for your comment, Jane. I can surely relate to what you’re saying about the future. I can surely relate. Isn’t it good to know that in Him, we have a future AND a hope? Praying for you now, sister. That’s GREAT to read how God is surely speaking to you through this Isaiah passage.
Oh Betsy, how true! What we focus on grows bigger in our mind! Love the scriptures and that God’s word enables us to fight those fears!
Thank you, sweet Ellen.
what if one’s fear is a result of an anxiety disorder?
Sarah, I’m sorry. Praying for you now. Definitely, anxiety disorder adds a whole new dimension to fear! I think the steps outlined here can help, particularly if we’re able to turn to prayer or a memorized scripture when we recognize triggers, but it’s important to seek help from a professional counselor if you suffer from anxiety disorder.