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Presented by Lisa Bishop

Are you living in fear today or are you living by faith?

It can be so easy to let anxiety, worry, and fear overwhelm you when life is hard and your circumstances look bleak. Whether it’s a job loss or negative performance review, you’ve been blindsided by a breakup, your kids are wayward, or your marriage is on the brinks–there is no end to the list of concerns that can consume you on a daily basis and it can be easy to slip into worry and fear of the future.

I read a quote the other day that stood out to me. It said, “The antidote of fear is the presence of God.” The definition of antidote is, “an agent that counteracts a poison.” If you think about it, fear is a poison. It aims to pollute your mind, cloud your vision, and destroy your hope. To cancel out fear, remember that as a follower of Jesus, you cohabitate with God! He is omnipresent which means his presence is everywhere. He never leaves you, He is always with you, Jesus is always by your side. The problem is when we fret, we forget.

When your mind gets caught in the hamster wheel of worry it will take intentionality to turn your thoughts to God and remember his presence.

It reminds me of Psalm 23. The Psalmist in his deep distress declares, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me” (Psalm 23:4 NLT). Sometimes we just want the difficulties in life to go away. I’ve got some bad news for you. It doesn’t. But the good news is that we have hope in the darkness and his name is Jesus!

In the midst of darkness, the Psalmist remembers the presence of God and it is a reminder and encouragement for you to do the same. I know that you do not always feel God’s presence so that can cause you to doubt his nearness. But this is where you can’t allow your feelings to inform your faith, but instead determine to focus on what is true. Snap yourself out of your distress and direct your attention to the prescription for peace found in Philippians 4:6-7:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When you feel distress trying to take up residence in your mind, instead of giving into fear, fight back with prayer. Don’t let anxiety win. Start praising God. Thank him that he is near. Thank him for his peace and presence. One of my favorite worship songs is, “Raise a Hallelujah.” I crank it up when I need a reminder to praise in the midst of the darkness. Let these lyrics be your anthem in the worries of life.

 

“I raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me

I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee

I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody.

I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me!”