I’ve battled fear for a majority of my conscious memory. Fear is a relentless foe; it presses back every time I push it away.
But I’ve been given a way to push harder.
By letting go.
Why Surrender Is Hard and How to Start
Lisa’s post last week brought up the point of surrendering in the moment.
It’s through re-reading her post (and our other posts this month) that I’ve realized: When I fear, I’m surrendering to and serving fear in that moment.
Ouch.
The strong-willed (read: stubborn) majority of me immediately fights back, No way do I want to serve fear! Yet, that’s just what I’m doing. And, that stubbornness prevented me from surrendering to God to begin with.
When God calls me to “fear not,” what can I do instead?
- Surrender fear by blasting its darkness with light.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” – Psalm 27:1
- Surrender fear by grabbing gratitude.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Surrender fear and replace it with peace given by His presence.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1 (See also Philippians 4:6-7)
- Surrender fear by fighting with truth. God is here. And God loves, reminding us why he wants us to surrender.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7
What Happens When We Surrender Our Fears
Why can we let go of fear? Because God already extended (and continues to extend grace to us):
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…” – Titus 2:11 (See all of Titus 2:11-14)
What comes when we get rid of fear? Hope.
I’m still battling fear, but each time I read these truths, speak them out loud, and really believe in them, I open up to His strength a little bit more.
Read, speak, believe. Repeat again and again. As C.S. Lewis said, “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.”
I’d much rather surrender to His hope over fear. How about you?
Also, we don’t have to fight fear alone. Let’s fight fear with community (Colossians 3:15-17). How do you fight fear with His Word? How can we pray together for you today? Share in the comments.
Great post, Caroline. I love the idea of blasting the darkness of fear with light!
Thanks, Eileen! I need that visual image sometimes. It helps me get out of my fearful funk!
Excellent post, Caroline. You know I battle against fear, too, so this helps in giving me specific strategies to use. As of late I’ve come to realize that I even fear “fear” itself–which seems crazy to be scared of being scared. ha. But your # 3 weapon is one that is helping me the most, realizing that even in the fear, He is with me and it is His presence that makes all the difference.
Thanks for sharing these!
We’re the same kind of crazy, Lisa. ;-) I get what you’re saying.
I’ve been thinking more about remembering His presences. I really have to slow my mind to remember and notice again. It’s a tough discipline, but with such drastic results.
Caroline, thank you for your biblical and very practical wisdom on surrendering fear!
Thanks for this tough and important topic this month, Kathy!
Thank you for this post. I am so tired of being afraid, of trying to fight fear on my own. These strategies are really great ways and reminders to let God fight our fear for us. If you have any other advice, strategies, help I’d be very grateful.
Jessica – Thank you so much for commenting. I can relate. I’m still struggling out of my own fears, too. And I’m tired of it, too. Like you said, God can “fight our fear for us.” For myself, it has a lot to do with trust. My head knows and my heart knows, but sometimes they don’t remember at the same time. I have remind them. :-)
Two more strategies I can think of right now:
-Put on praise music. It may sound silly, but put on *your favorite* praise music. I like upbeat stuff. It makes me sing, and my kids want to dance, and it helps bring me out of a fearful funk. Some of my favorite artists: Jason Gray, MercyMe, and Seeds Family Worship.
-Ask for prayer. It feels so much better when I ask others for prayer (even if I might feel guilty for “seflishly” asking for prayers for myself… it’s not selfish. It’s part of being in a community).
God, I lift up Jessica. Help her have Your strength to surrender her fears to You. Surround her with Your love so much that she can see only it. Thank you for your presence even when we forget and feel afraid. In Christ’s name.
Jessica, I’m not an expert by any means. I’m only going through it myself, too. But, feel free to email me if you want/need to: undergodsmightyhand (at) gmail (dot) com.
Hi Jessica,
A book I would recommend is Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow.
Memorizing scripture as an arsenal to fill your heart for those most vulnerable moments has really helped me. I know that God is big enough and present enough (always, everywhere) to give you peace that’s beyond what you can even understand!
http://www.amazon.com/Calm-Anxious-Heart-Contentment-Collection/dp/1600061419/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366915554&sr=1-1&keywords=calm+my+anxious+heart
Thank you both so very much. I will try these tactics and I have begun memorising scripture, starting with Isaiah 41:10.
It’s so wonderful to have a whole community of Christians out there willing to help and share Gods light.
Jessica, I have battled fear my whole life. Like Caroline, praise music is one of the weapons in my arsenal against fear. When I sing I refocus my attention on God, and off myself and my circumstances. It realigns me to where I belong, under His wing.
I also have memorized scriptures specifically related to fear. I even post them around my house! When I feel the fear creeping in I say them out loud. Here is a good list: http://www.dianedew.com/worry.htm
And just growing in relationship with the Lord through daily time in the Word and in prayer has made me more and more settled into that safe place of knowing He cares for me and is protecting me. He loves you so much Jessica!
Thank you so much Patti! Wow, it fills me with joy all of the help and support I have been receiving!