A Cycle of Fear? Break Free of Fear!

Jan 22, 2009

Fear Buffett says US in ‘economic Pearl Harbor’

Let me quote Timberly Ross’ article and more specifically Mr. Buffett’s comments:

Buffett said Americans are in a cycle of fear, “which leads to people not wanting to spend and not wanting to make investments, and that leads to more fear. We’ll break out of it. It takes time.”

This particular article really struck me as interesting and got my Spirit stirred up. Here is Warren Buffett – financial guru who is on top of everything and when asked about economic and financial decisions is quick to reply with his knowledge and understanding of what it takes to generate the numbers for businesses and money to make money. Yet, during this time of his interview, when questioned about this world’s economy, his response is in regards to a simple, yet life changing word – FEAR!

Now, any non Christian person will tell you that the life of fear is the last kind of life to live! People that live in fear are constantly looking over their shoulder. They worry, fret, and get concerned about the littlest things. They have no peace, no rest, and definitely cannot allow anything or anyone to handle any of their affairs for them. A person in fear is not their own and does nothing but live in the shadows of what COULD happen or what MIGHT happen. Nothing is ever positive and if anything ever positive drops in their laps, they never enjoy it for fear that it will turn negative.

So, as Mr. Buffett indicates, what happens to people living in fear is that they stop living in, doing things in, and acting on this life. They begin to breed fear. And if they do not have fear now, they begin to fear for lack of fear.

As Christians, we are to stop that madness and get our hands off of fear. Paul said in Romans 8:14-15

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

If we are Christians that truly believe that Jesus not only saved us and took away our sins but also freed us from all bondages, including the bondage of fear, are we to continue to live in the old way of bondage to sin and fear or are we to live free from that junk in Jesus’ finished work? We should have received a new life through the one Jesus Christ! When something is made new, restored, and redeemed, it means that the old things have all passed away and something new has been created and brought forth! Those old things are dead and gone and exist no more! Hence, as Paul says here, we did not receive fear as part of our newness of life from Jesus, so why are we accepting it and allowing it to have any place in our life? Why are we agreeing with the world and allowing fear in?

Faith and fear cannot operate together! When you are in fear you are not trust in Jesus and believing in The Truth of His Word! We must allow faith to remove fear from our lives. How do we do this – by walking in the command that Jesus gave us: that we walk in the love of Christ that has been shed abroad in our hearts!

Why is walking in love so important to our faith? Looks at 1 John 4:17-19 in the Amplified say:

17In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world.

18There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].

19We love Him, because He first loved us.

Now, more than ever, love must be perfected in the hearts of Christians! Where there is His love, there is no fear! This is perfect love and that is why it casts out fear! You become perfect in love through receiving Christ’s love for you and then, in turn, giving His love to everyone and through everything you do! Look at what Jesus gave us – 2 Timothy 1:7:

7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

So, what does love look like when it is manifest through us in what Jesus gave us? – 1 Corinthians 13:3-8:

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Love has its perfect work when all of the “no-love-fruit” is gone! That means we must stop being impatient and unkind toward all. Jealousy and envy for others has no place in a person who gives love. Being selfish, prideful and rude must leave your attitude. Allow love to have its way in your life means that you are not provoking others to anger and you are not devising evil thoughts and plans. And love definitely does not have fun doing grossly immoral acts. Love is filled with joy in The Truth! And when this love is perfected, it never, ever fails, because Jesus IS LOVE!

Mr. Buffett is right to say that we are in a cycle of fear, if we define this current fear as one that has us blinded to The Truth of the love we were given through Jesus! We must take responsibility to deal with the fear – cast down all fear and take up faith and what God’s Word has to say – Hebrews 13:6(Amplified):

6So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

Pray, in Jesus name, this verse of Scripture (Hebrew 13:6) over you, your family, and any situation where fear tries to rise and believe that the perfect love of Jesus has cast out all fear. As you do, fear will have to release its grip on those areas and the peace and joy of the Lord will return!

And that is The Truth!
PD2