I love this time of year. I love the crisp air. I love the autumn glow of the trees. I love seeing porches decorated with fall flair. But one thing I don't love about it is the fascination with fear. Perhaps it is because I have worked with those some so crippled with fear. From the panicked parent to the frightened child to the fearful citizen. Fear can get a really unhealthy grip on us. That grip clouds our perspective on life.
There are two really great alternatives and opposites to fear: Love. Peace. These are two words that our society throws around a lot and both can connote a variety of things. Both are determined by what you allow your mind to dwell or think on.
The kind of love that contrasts fear is God's unconditional love. 1 John 4:18(NLT) says, "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. I hope that you experience unconditional love through friends and family, but my greatest desire is that you experience the unconditional love of God. It is for every person. To accept and receive His love is to lose the fear of not measuring up.
The kind of peace that contrasts fear is a byproduct of subjecting your mind to the right thoughts. Isaiah 26:3(NLT) says, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" Romans 8:6(NLT) says, "So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." Peace in many ways is a matter of trust. A great way to fix your thoughts on God, is to read and reflect on one Psalm every day. The Psalmist was a master at meditating on God. He spent a lot of years watching sheep and a lot of years running for his life. Boredom and relational challenges make for great practice in controlling our thought lives.
When you are tempted to let fear overtake you, ask yourself, what am I dwelling on? What or who am I trusting in? Get a clearer perspective today by exchanging fear for the perfect love and peace of God.
