For me, I find myself continually playing the victim when it comes to fear. "I'm just stressed out." "I'm so worried about the decisions I have to make." I act as if it's me against my circumstances. I completely deny the fact that God is all-present, all-loving, and all-powerful. In fact, if I'm honest, I respond to the stresses in my life as if God is distant and uninvolved. And sometimes, when I have surrendered my fear, I look back and wonder if I even believed that He existed while I was worrying, doubting, and planning.
This realization shocks and convicts me. And again, I'm reminded of the verse in Matthew 6 when Jesus commands His disciples not to worry like the unbelievers. The surrounding passage reminds us that we have a God who cares - infinitely - about us. It's not me against my circumstances. It's God, me, and those circumstances that are under His control.
I need to stop paying homage to circumstances. No...actually I need to stop paying homage to the father of deception who makes me believe in circumstances that may not even happen, and even more horrifyingly, makes me "forget" who God is.
I need to put all fear aside and let God fill my mind and open my eyes to the reality of His love.
Every ounce of fear can be traced back to a detrimental lie that has the potential to damage my faith in God and my relationship with Him.
So what will it be today: faith or fear?