Jzone-East - Chronicle

X the Fear Factor

by Carolyn H. Tan-Chi

What are your greatest fears? Failure. Loneliness. Rejection. Death. People’s opinions—these may just be a few among the litany of things that send people running for cover. Are they among your greatest fears? Whatever it may be, most of us struggle with them. Even Moses, one of the most influential persons in the Bible, struggled with fear.

What’s the problem with fear? Fear will keep you from making a difference. Why? Because even if you know what the right choice is, when you are afraid of what others think or are fearful of something, it grips you, paralyzes you, and keeps you from taking action. Most of us want to make a difference for Christ, but we will fail to do so if we are too scared to make the right turns in life. There is One who can deliver us from our fears, though, and until we focus on the ONE, we will not be able to make a difference for God. The ONE is Jesus Christ. He must be in your life to have victory over all your fears and live a life that has eternal impact. So what does focusing on the “ONE” entail?

First it means that we must Overcome our fears through Christ. Have you ever said these: “I can’t serve because I’m not that gifted;” “I’d like to help out but I don’t think I’m good enough;” or “What would people say?” Too often we focus on ourselves or on what people think instead of focusing on Christ. This hinders us from doing God’s will. When we live to please Jesus though, God rips us free from the bondage of fear to do what He wants us to do. 1 John 4:4 says, “Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world.” We can overcome any fear through Christ because HE is greater than any problem or fear that we face. Do you believe it? Philippians 4:13 also says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength.” It doesn’t just say some things, but all

Secondly, we must have No compromise in our private lives. Do you realize that everything you do is a choice? And though we are free to choose, we are never free to escape the consequences of our decision. We will not be able to make a difference if we compromise in the small things. “He who is faithful in a little thing is faithful in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous in much” (Luke 16:10). There’s no substitute for faithfulness. We cannot compromise. Just as a little yeast spoils the whole bunch, so too, just a little sin will destroy us in the end. Are there areas in life you are compromising? How is your use of time? Do you use it in a way which glorifies God, or do you spend hours on the television (“Lord, matapos lang talaga ang Big Brother, tapos na ang kontrata ko sa TV!“) or computer (“Sige, mag-doDotA muna ako bago ako mag aral”), which takes away from spending time with the Lord and doing constructive work? How about your lips? Do you gossip, lie, curse? Are you careful with what you look at? Realize that we are Christ’s ambassadors and He will empower us to tell others about His love and wonderful plan for their lives, but we must also watch ourselves and ask the Lord to keep us from compromise so that He can shine through us to bless others.

Finally, if we want to make a difference, we need to Exercise our Faith in Christ. Remember Moses: even though at first he feared, He chose to trust God and obey. He spoke to Pharaoh and eventually the Lord allowed Him to lead the Israelites out of slavery into the Promise Land. As he obeyed God he experienced personal victory over his fears and influenced thousands of lives. Psalm 81:10 says “I, the Lord, am your God; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” Sometimes we may be afraid to act when the Lord prompts us to share the gospel with a friend, family member, or stranger, but we may only experience the miracle of the Lord filling our mouth when we obey. Do not focus on results because God does not look at results, He looks at our heart.

To make a difference we must be able to Focus on the ONE. Instead of being people pleasers, be Christ-pleasers. Let’s ask ourselves how we can best glorify Him. Then we can Overcome our fears in Christ, live a life of No compromises, and Exercise our faith in obedience to His commands. As ambassadors of Christ, others will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Then we will live a life that truly matters and makes a difference.

1. What fear is hindering you from doing what God wants? Are you willing to entrust that fear to Him and focus on Jesus instead?

2. Are there any compromises in your life?

3. In what ways is God nudging you to exercise your faith?

things. So why should we fear for grades, relationships, or our future, when God gives us the power to do what is necessary now to give our best? Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” When we completely trust in the Lord, that’s when we can overcome our fear.