by CVC Founding Pastor, Rick Duncan
A way to remind yourself to fear not…
It’s tempting, isn’t it, to take our cues from the news. These days, the news feeds fear. What we hear from the media is more and more bad news about job losses, cuts in pay, stock market downturns.
Sadly, God’s people can conform to the world and allow fear to limit what God wants to do in, through, with and for them.
But God is calling us to live in faith, not fear. We have the opportunity to learn more of what it means to obey the command “fear not” even in light of troubling news.
We have to figure out ways to remind ourselves that our Shepherd, our Father, our King has promised to take care of us.
It can be the little things you do that can make a big difference when it comes to defeating your fear.
I have a friend who went through some challenging times with his career. He had a good job with a big pharmaceutical company. But cutbacks happened. And he had to ask the big question, “What am I going to do now?” So, he started his own business. And I started doing some business with him.
On a Monday, I wrote him a check. Later in the week, he said, “Hey, thanks for the Scripture.” I’m sure I had a puzzled look on my face because I didn’t remember giving him a verse. He said, “I went home and looked it up and it was meaningful. Thanks.”
And then I remembered. I have developed a habit. For over 40 years, on the memo part of the check, I write, “Phil. 4:13.” It’s an abbreviation for Philippians 4:13.
I started doing that years and years ago because as we started our family I had a lot of job changes and a lot of entry level salaries. And I had to figure out how to fight fear. So, every time I paid a bill, I wanted to remind myself that I have a God who has promised to take care of me.
The verse? “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, ESV).
Maybe I need to develop a new habit or start writing a different verse. Maybe Phil. 4:19 has become vain repetition for me. I didn’t even remember writing it.
But it reminded my friend who started a new business that God is going to take care of him and his family.
How about you? How will you remind yourself that you have a Shepherd, a Father, a King who’s promised to take care of you so that you can “fear not”?
