50 – U.S. states. They ordered brochures about
cruises to the Caribbean and train rides
throughout Europe. They mused about the
possibility of going to more distant destinations
on other continents.
One place, in particular, was dearest to their
hearts: the United Kingdom. Nana corresponded
with a pen pal in England and told her that one
day she and Grandpa would come to visit in
person. Despite their dreams, however, they
hesitated to take action. Year after year went by
without them taking a single trip together.
The reason was simple: fear. They were afraid of
so much – spending too much money, missing
out on something back home, getting lost,
having an accident, etc. Finally, after Grandpa
retired, Nana insisted that they start traveling at
least a little bit. Grandpa agreed – but soon
afterward, he passed away.
Far too many dreams die because of fear. Far
too many people let fear stop them from
pursuing something God leads them to do. What
are you afraid of? This Easter, you can rise
beyond that fear because Jesus rose from his
grave on the first Easter – and he stands ready
to empower you to live fully right now!
On the original Easter, an angel startled a group
of women who had come to Jesus Christ’s tomb
to grieve. “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not
be afraid, for I know that you are looking for
Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has
risen, just as he said. Come and see the place
where he lay,’” reports Matthew 28:5-6 . Verse 8
says that after encountering the angel, “…the
women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet
filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” Their
next encounter would be the ultimate in
awesome meetings: They met Jesus himself, and
he too told them “Do not be afraid…” (verse 10).
Hope at Easter
Jesus is no longer lying inside his grave, so he
doesn’t want us to be trapped inside our fear.
The same power of God that made Jesus’
Resurrection possible is available to empower us
today. Thanks to that reality, we never need to
live in fear – no matter how scary our
circumstances may seem.
Here are five ways to rise beyond fear this
Easter:
1. Confess your fear.
The first step is to face your fear and
acknowledge it in prayer. What, exactly, is
making you feel afraid? Be honest with yourself,
God, and other people about what scares you,
and ask them to help you understand why you’re
feeling that way.
Celebration Back into Focus
James 5:15 advises: “…confess your sins to each
other and pray for each other so that you may
be healed…” While fear may not seem like a sin,
it can be because misplaced fear – fear that
pushes you away from God rather than pulling
you closer to God – opposes faith in your soul
and prevents you from growing closer to God.
Fear is a natural emotion, just like anger, that is
meant to help protect you from danger. But if
fear has turned into worry in your life, you’ve
used fear the wrong way. That’s when it’s time
to confess the fear you feel. Doing so will open
up healing opportunities for you.
2. Figure out what’s at the root of your fear, and
pray about it.
No matter how overwhelmed you feel by fear,
it’s no problem for God to handle. But since God
never forces his help on anyone, you must ask
him to intervene in the situation with his power
to help you break free of fear. So invite God to
get involved. God’s help is just a prayer away!
SEE ALSO: 5 Gifts Jesus Gave Us on Easter
Ask God to show you exactly what is at the root
of your fear. Is it something specific that
happened in your past that you hurt you and is
now fueling anxiety in your life? Is it anxiety
about the future that is causing you to feel
scared right now? Once you’ve identified specific
root causes of your fear, take Philippians 4:6 ’s
advice: “Do not be anxious about anything , but
in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
A general sense of fear without any clear cause
is a possible sign of a spiritual warfare attack. In
that case, pray confidently, in Jesus’ name, for
deliverance from evil. Put on the “armor of God”
that Ephesians 6:10-17 describes.
3. Focus on the possibilities instead of on the
problems.
Choose to shift your focus from the problems
that are fueling your fear to the possibilities that
exist when Jesus gives you courage. The
circumstances and emotions you experience at
any given time are likely to be mixed up – good
and bad – together. Just like the women in
Matthew 28:8 felt “afraid yet filled with joy” after
hearing the angel’s announcement about the
Resurrection, you will often be aware of your
problems yet also aware of God’s work in your
life.
Decide to pay more attention to God’s ability to
guide you toward solutions than on your
problems themselves. When you do, your faith
will help you find your way through problems
and discover new possibilities.
4. Take action despite feeling afraid.
Since fear is a part of everyone’s day-to-day life
in this fallen world, you’ll encounter fear on a
regular basis. Fear will never disappear until you
get to heaven. However, God will always give
you the courage you need to overcome fear.
What’s more, God will always be personally
present with you in scary situations.
In Isaiah 41: 10, God promises: “Fear not, for I
am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you; I
will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” So
whenever you sense God calling you to do
something (like take a risk), be willing to take
action even if fear is tempting you to say “no.”
Try to always be in the “yes” position to God.
5. Expect more from God.
God is much bigger than your fear! When you
worry about what you’re afraid of, you shrink
your expectations down to the lowest level. But
when you choose to trust God, anything is
possible.
Make a habit of asking yourself whether or not
God can handle whatever fear has entered your
mind. As you remind yourself of God’s unlimited
power, fear will lessen its grip on you.
This Easter when you celebrate the Resurrection
of Jesus, you can also celebrate the fact that his
power can help you rise beyond any type of fear
in your life. As Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my
light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The
Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I
be afraid?”
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