Weapon of Choice

“Nothing that Satan can do to you should cause you to fear.”
I read this in my devotional book this morning. R-i-g-h-t…

Fear. Most of us believe, I think, that we are not afraid of too much. We don’t walk through our days living in “fear.” But, what about anxiety. There is a lot of anxiety out there these days with the economy so terrible, massive unemployment, credit card debt, foreclosures, lost retirement savings, etc. Then there’s the war in Afghanistan. The constant threat of terrorism.

Paul said to Timothy that God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power. Jesus chose the twelve disciples the Father had given Him and then jealously guarded them from the evil one. So, if this is true, then everything that happens to you, as in the disciples’ case, is first sifted through the Messiah. The King of kings, Lord of lords. So, if THAT is true, why are Christians living fearful, anxiety-filled lives? What does that say about you? Me?

Regardless of what you say and testify to…an anxiety-filled life proves your lack of confidence in God’s protection. I have a plate in my bookcase at work that says, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” I have been burdened lately by my own anxiety, and I see so many of my Christian friends suffering through various degrees of anxiety. But, we of all people, children of God, should be living our lives with confidence that the Christ is continually engaged in our daily challenges and constantly interceding with the Father on our behalf. Where is our joy in that?

Anxiety is one of Satan’s greatest weapons. Unbelievers see our anxiety-filled lives and wonder what makes us so different from them? They don’t see how Christ living in us is making any kind of difference in how we approach life and its struggles…soooooo….I’m sure they’re thinking…what’s the point?

And, I think The Potter continually molds and shapes and bends us by giving us the opportunity, sometimes on a daily basis, to choose to live joyfully, worshipfully, and in thanksgiving…no matter what Satan and this broken world throws at us.

So I challenge you today to “learn to dance in the rain.”