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Don't Feed the Fear

If you've ever experience crippling anxiety or fear, you know that it can make everyday life really difficult.
It's terrifying. It's makes you feel like your drowning in a fog of darkness. It's real. 

But so is my God!

This Coronavirus is a perfect storm that the enemy can use to create an atmosphere of fear and torment - neither of which is of God. That's SO important to remember. 

God brings peace beyond understanding. 
He brings joy unspeakable. 
He brings calm in the midst of chaos.

Here are a few things that God has taught me throughout the years to help fight this battle with anxiety and fear.  Hopefully it can help some of you who may be dealing with fear and anxiety with the Coronavirus swirling all round us:

1.  Guard your eyes and ears.  
  Fear grows if we feed it - so starve it! Limit or cut out TV, Facebook, and negative conversation.  Be wise and learn what we have to about this virus and then shut it off.  Choose someone who can inform you of what you need to know. Don't sit there all day feeding the fear monster by constantly bombarding your mind with the worse case scenarios and news that can create panic within you.

2. Talk to Someone and Don't Isolate Yourself
When the enemy starts putting thoughts in our mind, and we start to believe them, it's hard to discern what is real and what is true.  So talk to someone.  Find someone who can listen and tell you that what you are thinking is rational or irrational.  Don't isolate yourself and let the enemy run wild in your mind.

3. Take out that Sword!
The bible says in Ephesians 6 that the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. It is the only offensive piece of armor He talked about in Ephesians.   The word of God is the only thing that can penetrate the strongholds (those pervasive thoughts) that the enemy is trying to set up in your mind.  Read the Word. Quote the Word. Speak the Word. Pray the Word. BELIEVE the Word!

4. Get on Top of It.
With fear and anxiety, you feel like your wearing a lead jacket.  Like your drowning and can't catch a breath. Like your walking in a fog and don't know which way is up or down.
GET ON TOP OF IT!
What I mean by this is prepare yourself for the attack that the enemy will throw at you.  You know he's going to try to throw you off by putting things in front of you to cause fear.  Be prepared.  Don't wait for an attack to start praying or fasting or eliminating TV or Facebook.  You have to be smart to his devices.  Always be one step ahead of him.  Arm yourself with the Word.  Be prayed up.  Guard yourself against his tactics.  If you know that the evening news always creates fear, turn it off.  If every time you take out your garbage, your neighbor begins speaking negative things, change the time you take out your garbage.  Know your boundaries. Know how he attacks you. And then remind him of who your God is!

5. Breathe
Purposefully sit and calm yourself.  Sit. Stop. Breathe. Tell your mind to stop. Ask God to bring peace this very moment.  

6. Get Busy Doing Something You Enjoy
I truly believe the saying "Idolness is the Devil's workshop."  Take your mind off of all the negative and get busy doing something you love.  Read a book. Bake some brownies. Start running.  Find something to do that will help you get through these times.

7. Acknowledge Him In All Your Ways
Keep your mind on Him.  Pray always. Talk to Him all day.  Look for the little things to thank Him for.  Let your thoughts always be led to Him.  If we keep our mind on Christ, the enemy will have no room to try to interject his fear on to us.  Stay in the spirit.

When my mind wants to take over, I look to this verse (Phil 4:8 AMP) to put things into perspective:

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute (character, reputation); if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. 

If your thoughts are not any of those things, they aren't of God. Ignore them and move on. It's not something we want to entertain and listen to.  

Remember, we don't have to believe everything we think!

With Jesus, we will get through this.

I pray the Peace of God rest on you.  That your mind would quiet to hear his still small voice.  That He meets you where you are and that tonight, your sleep be sweet.







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