So many people are in a frenzy and making statements of fear. If you don't know what I am talking about just scroll through social media. There is zero peace in panic statements. The truth is that peace and panic (fear) cannot exist in the same atmosphere. When you make statements of panic, you add that to the atmosphere, and the same goes for statements of peace. I believe we are a people created for peace, but some of us, who have faced challenges in life sometimes grow accustomed to basking in the opposite, assuming that is "just how life is". I do not believe for one second that God created us to live a life of panic or fear.
2 Timothy 1:7 clearly states that "For God does not give us the spirit of fear, but one of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Please ask yourself this question: If you are basking in fear, panic and chaos, do you feel that your mind is sound? Do you feel powerful? Are you quick to love others while you are feeling those things?
On a personal level I can honestly say NO. When my mind is consumed with fear, or when my mind is racing with anxious thoughts that I struggle to manage....I do not feel powerful....I feel the exact opposite - weak. I want to hide, crawl in a hole, cover up and isolate to get away from the noise. I become grouchy and short tempered or worrisome, which then begins to affect those around me through the words and actions that come out of me that reflect it.
I realize that some of what is going on in our lives we cannot control and that is what causes tremendous anxiety. Let me honest......you cannot control your next breath. You have no idea when your last breath will be. You also cannot "will" your heart to beat....it is also out of your control. I may not be able to control my next breath or heart beat, but I can do things that will help the health of them by working out and taking care of my body and what I eat etc....
You may not be able to fully control what is happening in the world around you, but you sure can do something about how your thoughts of them consume you and cause panic, and how you speak of them. Ask yourself what are you thinking on, what are you speaking on? Did you know that your mouth is a weapon? I think I just may have thrown some of you off by saying that. Keep reading.
Proverbs 18:21 (KJV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Our mouth is a weapon. The words of our mouth produce life or death, blessing or cursing. We use our words to create, just as God did.
We speak forth the Word of God and darkness has to flee. We tell the devil to go and he must obey.
2 Corinthians 10:4 says in the Message Bible: We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds.
No, our weapons are not worldly - but they are mighty. And they are to be used to defeat every enemy in our lives. But to do that, we must know how to use them.
The Bible gives us full instructions on how to use these weapons. We only need to study and begin to practice using those weapons.
Psalm 18:34 tells us that God will teach us to battle. If you seek His face, He will teach you to wage war against your enemy - but you must seek Him.
Remember in the Old Testament, King David always sought God for strategies before every single battle. He didn't assume that the same strategy that worked last time would work the next time. No, he sought God for each battle. And God gave Him specific instructions every time. God is no respecter of persons - He will do the same for you.
You may find yourself in a battle today - the good news is you have all the weapons you need to win! The better news is God will show you what weapons to use and how to use them, if you ask.
Your weapons are more powerful than anything the enemy can bring against you – you have God’s word on that. Your God-given weapons are enough to bring victory every time….use them.
If you need peace in your life, you need to seek it in your thoughts by recognizing their origin. If you have thoughts full of fear and panic, those are not of God, He is not the author of fear and panic....Satan is. God is not the author of confusion. My "go to" to, speak out loud verse when I have those thoughts, is the very first verse I typed in this reading: 2 Timothy 1:7. It is a reminder every time that God is not the author of fear, and if I am afraid I know to rebuke the author of fear, Satan himself, and do it in the Name of Jesus. Then I may use a verse like Jeremiah 29:11 that tells us that God knows the plans He has for us, ones to prosper us and not to harm us and one to give us a hope and a future.
Another favorite is Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
As I sat and looked at the water during my work out break and felt complete peace from looking at that scenery, God reminded me of the power in the water scene I was looking at. In one area the water was gushing down a bank. It was beautiful. The sound was mesmerizing, but it would have been dangerous for me to jump into it because of the power of the water gushing. The same with the area of the scene where the river looked like glass. It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful, but again the underlying currents are incredibly powerful.
When my mind is at peace it is powerful. I am effective in my walk. I can speak life to others and encourage and build up. My mind is clear. I can look at things in a positive manner and see others perspectives. I can trust Him with the things unseen. When my mind is at peace I am great at my callings.....it's the LAST thing the enemy wants. Think about it. If the enemy has you in fear, anxiety and panic then you are of no threat to him. There is power in the peace. What you speak and think on matters not only to your own peace, but to others you project to.
