With Christ In the School of Fear

“Fear is not an emotion. It is an entity.” –Jimmy Evans, pastor of Trinity Fellowship in Amarillo, TX, founder of Marriage Today

It was a light bulb moment as I sat at our church’s women’s conference. Jimmy Evans backed up his statement with the following verse, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJ)

If the verse sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve mentioned it a few times. It’s the one God gave me for 2015. There’s a well-known book on prayer by Andrew Murray called With Christ in the School of Prayer. Great book, but this year I could write a different one—With Christ in the School of Fear.

God is calling me to deal with fear like never before. I didn’t think it was an issue. Talk about a blind spot. Here’s what I’m learning.

First Response

My initial reaction to something is often fear, though I would call it—concern. Like when I read my syllabus for Evangelism class this summer and noted the amount of practical application required. My muscles tightened, and my heart sped up.

The Holy Spirit said, “See? Fear.”

Dang it. He was right. Now I’m more aware of my first response and I’m changing it to something else. Peace. Faith. Prayer.

War Zone

This is war. I have one child who deploys to the Middle East this year, and another giving me fits. The battle is on. My weapons? The armor God provides. Taking every thought captive. And worship. Lots of worship. And in worship, praise and thanksgiving. Over and over again.

More Than a Conqueror

God is faithful. He trains me to stand my ground—not as a quivering victim, but as an overcomer, a conqueror, a daughter of the King.

It’s easy to “what-if.”

It’s easy to stress.

It’s easy to give in to self-pity.

But that’s not what He calls me to. Negative fear is an entity, and it belongs under my foot, not around my neck.

If you struggle with fear, with worry, with concern, buckle on your armor and crank up the praise music. It’s time for school. Grab your Book and learn from the Master.

Questions:

In what ways can fear manifest?

What does fear steal from us?

Are you tired of it?

Family Application:

How do you define fear in your life? Scared, afraid, nervous, anxious, worry, concern, anticipation? Talk through it as a family.

Match a memory verse with the definition that fits you and your trouble spot best (fear of the dark, what people think, the future, the unknown, bad things, loss).

Kids’ Resources: GT and the Halo Express, Glen Keane’s Adam Raccoon series (Glen Keane worked as a Disney animator and is the son of Bill Keane of Family Circus cartoon fame. Look for these under Cross Training at the Amazon store on my website.

Tweetables:

“Fear is not an emotion. It is an entity.” –Jimmy Evans, pastor and founder of Marriage Today. Click To Tweet
God is faithful. He trains me to stand my ground—not as a quivering victim, but as an overcomer. Click To Tweet
Negative fear is an entity, and it belongs under my foot, not around my neck. Click To Tweet

2 Comments

  1. Jo on June 3, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    I’ve been dealing with anxiety and fear also and so has abigail. We are often encouraged and inspired by your writings. Keep writing! <3

    • Gayle Veitenheimer on June 3, 2015 at 9:03 pm

      Hey Jo. I think it’s hitting a lot of us. I’m getting similar feedback from other friends. Buckle on the armor. It’s time for battle!

Leave a Comment





Join Gayle

Subscribe to get my latest content by email.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Recent Posts