Fearless

Imagine with me.
You have spent three incredibly amazing, utterly unbelievable, life and eternity changing years with the Son of God. One day Jesus announces He is going to leave the earth soon and you won’t be going with Him.  
What might you be feeling and thinking about that?
 Surely you are going to miss Him and wonder what life will be like without Him. What would you like/need to hear from Jesus before He departs?
Thankfully you and I have the answer to that question in the Bible. In John 14:27 Jesus said to His faithful followers “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27
Jesus knew His earthly exit would create some fear and trepidation in the disciple’s hearts. Assuredly their faith would be severely tested. Trouble would find its way into their lives. Fear and anxiety of the future would be a constant companion in the days ahead.
I believe Christ’s words to them at this critical transition time would help them live fearlessly in a fearful world.
The Lord laid out for them three things that would help them live with fearless faith.

1. Receive My peace. Jesus would give His followers His peace. Not just any peace, certainly not the false peace of the world. The true peace of God, the peace that Jesus possessed during His life will be yours. The peace of Jesus would keep the disciples’ hearts peaceful as they moved on to proclaim the Good News to the world. .   
2. Don’t be troubled. Because of My peace, no need to let trouble trouble your heart. How reassuring those words must have been!  “Let not your heart be troubled” is a choice the disciples and you and I get to make. We can let trouble trouble us, or not.
   
3. Don’t be fearful. Not only did the Lord tell them to not let their heart be troubled. He also told them to not have a fearful heart. Its way too easy to let our heart be overtaken by fear. Someone said “Fear is the handle of very tool of Satan”. Simply, Jesus is saying you don’t have to be afraid because My peace is yours. 

The disciples heard what they needed to hear as Christ’ departure to heaven approached. He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them (see John 14:16-26) while He was in heaven preparing a place for them (see John 14:1-6). Jesus assured them that they could walk by faith fearlessly in the days ahead.  
Fearless doesn’t mean absence of fear. It means when faced with fear, not to fear.
The disciples, and all who follow the Lord Jesus Christ, can have a peace-filled, non-troubling, fearless faith. Fearless faith in Christ is committed, courageous, confident, contagious and conquers life.
Four Steps To Fearless Faith

• FACE YOUR FEAR

Do not turn your back on fear. Never flee from what you fear. Stand up to it. Get in fears face. Stare it down. Name your fear. Shame your fear by calling it what it is. Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to chase your fear away. When you and I face a fear head on and don’t back down, fear’s grip will be broken. Fear will retreat like a whipped dog!

• DON’T FEED YOUR FEAR

Stop dwelling on your fear. Don’t give fear attention. Stop talking about being afraid. Refuse to acknowledge it. Stop rehearsing and nursing what makes you fearful. Curse your fear in Jesus’ mighty name. Starve your fear to death. If you don’t feed fear, it can’t grow. Do a little weed and feed…weed your fears and feed your faith!

• FIGHT YOUR FEAR

It was Emerson who said “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.” Never raise a white flag of surrender to your fears. Don’t lie down and let fear triumph over you. Refuse to hide out and hunker down in fear. Rise up. Prepare to fight. Put on your spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-20). Stand behind the shield of faith. Courageously charge what you fear in Jesus’ name!

• FOCUS YOUR FAITH

David declared in Psalm 56:3 “Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you.” Psalm 34:4 says “I sought the Lord and He delivered me from all my fears.” Faith negates fear. When fear rears its ugly head, look to Jesus (Hebrews12:1-3). Take every one of your fears to God. Trust Him to deal with it. Then watch your fear vanish in the victorious name of Jesus!  
Jesus said not to fear, not to be troubled in your heart because He gives you His peace.  That’s pretty good advice for you and me to follow every single day.
 
Confession of Fearless Faith
I am a fearless Christian!
I will not be afraid of anyone or anything. I belong to God.  His peace fills my mind and heart. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has defeated every fearful and hurtful thing that can come against me.
Therefore, I choose right now to be fearless. I affirm my faith in Jesus. With the Holy Spirit’s help, I draw upon the spiritual power, unconditional, unlimited love of God, and the stability of my sound mind in Christ to conquer my fears in Jesus’ name.
 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7
 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27
A Word For Your Week: No need to fear because Jesus is near.