Flex your faith

The Bible doesn’t waste space.
If it’s in the Bible, it’s in there for a reason.
God wanted it there.

Something mentioned once is worth paying attention to.
Something mentioned over, and over, and over…
That’s something extremely important.

So, what’s something that’s mentioned repeatedly throughout the Bible?
Do not be afraid.

It’s not mentioned two times, ten times, or twenty times…
I found 32 times.

“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Genesis 15:1, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Genesis 26:24, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Genesis 46:3, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Exodus 14:13, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Numbers 14:9, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Deuteronomy 1:21, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Joshua 1:9, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Joshua 8:1, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Joshua 10:8, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Judges 6:23, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (1 Samuel 12:20, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (2 Kings 19:6, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (1 Chronicles 22:13, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (2 Chronicles 20:15, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Isaiah 54:4, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Jeremiah 42:11, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Ezekiel 3:9, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Acts 27:24, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Revelation 1:17, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Jeremiah 1:8, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Luke 12:32, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (John 14:27, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (John 12:15, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Matthew 10:28, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Mark 5:36, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Matthew 28:10, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Acts 18:9, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Matthew 10:26, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Revelation 2:10, NIV)
“…’Do not be afraid…'” (Luke 5:10, NIV)

And there’s many more verses like this, phrased in different ways that all convey…
Do not be afraid.

It’s clearly something that God wants us to remember.
It’s clearly something that He knows people will deal with.
It’s clearly something we should listen to.

But, why is it so important that it’s mentioned so many times in the Bible?

Because fear cripples.
It distracts.
It drains.

It’s the opposite of faith.
It holds people back.

It’s a seed that doesn’t sprout.
It’s purpose, unfulfilled.
It’s inhibiting.

It’s emotionally driven.
But, it’s something that’s commonly felt.
How do you deal with it?

The only answer I have is to pursue a closer relationship with God.
Cling to Him.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”
(James 4:8, NKJV)

There is comfort in closeness to God.
There is peace felt that drives away feelings of fear.
There is a deeper level of trust as you mature in your relationship with God.
There is an increased sensitivity to seeing God work in your life.
There is joy in realizing how good God is…
A realization that grows.

All those things work together to fortify your faith.
And fight fear.

But, that doesn’t mean fighting off fear once, is fighting it off forever…
Which is why it’s so important that we renew our faith daily.
Church on Sunday isn’t enough.

We’ve got to make God a priority every day.
We’ve got to spend time with Him.
We’ve got to read the Word.
We’ve got to pray.

We’ve got to have community, where we can encourage one another.

Muscles don’t grow without exercise.
And neither does faith.

We’ve got to consistently exercise it, to build it, to strengthen it…
So when fear shows up, faith is ready.

It puts us in a position where fear loses power, and instead of our minds running through “What if…” scenarios, we speak strength, we speak faith…
“I’m in this race to win it!”
“My God is greater.”

“…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
(Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV)

The only thing fear deserves is a punch in the face.
It has no place in my life.
It wants to destroy.

It has no place in your life.
It wants to defeat you.

So, stay strong in your faith.
Stay fit in your faith.
Stay focused.

“…overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, NLT)

Thank you, Jesus!

-Steinar


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