Today’s principle focus is on being Fearless
Today’s Positive Affirmation and Encouraging Words to Live By:
“I do not worry or have fear, for God is with me.”
Scripture Reference: Proverbs 31:21
Think on this: While the proverb states “When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.” It could just as easily read: “The person who is wise does not worry. They are grounded in their confidence of the Word, and to them their family stands out and apart from the rest.”
He continued this subject with his disciples. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more. Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. – Luke 12:22-32 The Message
ON A SCALE OF 1-10… (10 being the highest most confident in the area of fearlessness.) How fearless do you feel you are?
What does being “fearless” mean to you? In my opinion, fearlessness is best defined as a relaxed sense, or a lack of worry about a current circumstance. Today, we are going to practice the right kind of fearlessness. Today we are going to think about and practice having confidence in God and the way He does things.
Before I became a Christian, I used to think that being fearless meant having the ability to do crazy stunts without dying. Like bungee jump off bridges, sky diving, or eat disgusting foods. Fearlessness to me used to be all about crazy and zany activities.
It was only after I became a Christian that I realized true “fearlessness” wasn’t in any one particular action, true fearlessness was found in the ability to live free from worry.
Have you ever been guilty of worrying over what you have to eat, however little it might be? God is calling out to us to believe in Him, to believe in His promises. He will neither forsake us nor abandon us. – Deuteronomy 31:8
Too often, we begin to humanize God. We begin to feel as if He will let us down just as everyone else has done so in the past. The bitter feeling of our emptiness and loneliness prevents us from being able to imagine a loving and caring Heavenly Father that wants what’s best for us.
When our own parents, friends, spouse, brothers, sisters have been so harmful to us, how are we supposed to be able to trust God for everything? We can see them!
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is un-searchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31
Fearlessness comes from a lack of worry. Having faith in God comes from the strength that He gives us, and we grow confident in our faith when we give up the thinking that God might let us down. God is in the business of lifting us up! Christ himself says that He will not do anything to harm us.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. – John 10:10
Our Father does not want you to worry. He does not want you to be living in bondage to fear! He wants you to live freely and abundantly and carefree. God is all around you, guiding you and protecting you.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” – John 8:12
I often hear my sons playing an imaginary game of Superheroes. As they each pretend to be one, I hear them go on and on about their “special” powers. One might have the power of invisibleness, while the other might have super strength. The most desired power that they pretend to have is the power of invincibility. This is the power to go through rocks, jump off buildings, and not get ill. To the children, the power of invincibility is the strongest most sought out strength of all their “Super-powers”.
Did you know that invincibility isn’t limited just to Super-heroes, but we can be invincible too? Not invincible in body, for our human bodies alone can’t handle much. In Christ, however we have an internal invincibility backed by eternal life! (John 3:15) Our invincibility comes from the Word of God, and from the power He has given within us. Living by the power of the Holy Spirit can and will repel any harm from befalling you.
If you have become a Christian, and have accepted the Holy Spirit into your heart, you now live with a God inspired invincibility that will guide you from walking into harmful situations.
The Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom that you need in order to avoid calamity, detour destruction, and keep you from harboring worry. Keeping your mind focused on Christ and the Word of God creates a fearlessness that will begin to radiate out through you, and give you the peace of mind that Christ says is available to all His believers. He wants us all to be brave, and to trust God with the welfare of our family.
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. – 1 John 2:20
According to scripture a fearless person sees their family as if they are clothed in scarlet.
During the time that this proverb was written, only the richest men and women could have ever afforded the luxury of a purple, blue, or scarlet piece of clothing.
My Grandfather once explained to me that, the different paint and dye colors in history have come from different mineral properties found in the Earth across various regions of the world.
The color most associated with royalty has been the color purple. Purple was the most expensive dye that could have been made available. Originally, purple came from the crushing of Mediterranean Murex, or seashells. These seashells could only be found in one area of the world, in Tyrian, Lebanon. Other regions offered other colors. Sienna and Umbra are examples of browns, in the case of purple, it would have taken ten thousand mollusk seashells to create one purple Roman toga!
Most clothing, of the day would have been natural colored fabric. Off-whites, all natural hues of sandy tones, often people wore dusty clothes and were not uniquely attired at all. No average person would have walked around town with scarlet clothing!
Can you imagine back then how difficult it would have been to locate a lost or hurting child in a crowd? What would set your child apart from others? In the case of Proverbs 31, scripture says that the one who is found fearless will respond to situations placing their faith in God to the point that to them, it would be as if their children were clothed in scarlet!
Even though their families may not have been literally draped in scarlet, in their mothers fearless confident eyes she could easily determine which children were hers and exactly where they were at all times. Her children’s love for God and their fearless hearts, would separate them, and put them apart. It is only when we become afraid, that we lose focus and cannot see clearly God’s promises to us.
Today, let us practice having faith and not fear for the security of our families. Begin to pray for your children’s safety, and let them go about their day. Jesus’ own mother Mary had to deal with worry over her son.
So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” – Luke 2:45-50
Even Mary had to be reminded to rely on The Word of God. It wasn’t until they had come all the way home to Jerusalem that she and Joseph noticed that Jesus was missing. It wasn’t until fear set in, that Mary began the process of worry. Once she let that worry set in, it clouded the Word that God had given her, that Word that said that Christ was going to be the Savior!
Don’t let worry render you fearful. Don’t let worry cause your children and family to begin to look like everyone else. Don’t let your worry block their spiritual covering, and keep them from seeing about the Father’s business.
Even children are called to God for a purpose, they have a destiny all their own! [Jeremiah 29:11]
Today’s principle focus is on letting go of fear. Today let us practice not falling into fear of letting the children go outside, fear of visiting and cheering up a friend who is ill, the fear of going to school, or even the fear of a cough that might someday go bad. Instead, today we will practice speaking faith filled words instead of fear. Today we will begin applying the scriptures of hope and promise that God has in His Word for our families, and start living fear free today!
Family Promises:
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate. – Psalm 127:3-5
Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. – Psalm 128:1-4
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. – Jeremiah 17:7-8
Today’s Key Take Away:
• Deciding to live fear free is a differentiator from the norm. When we live fear free we choose to step into the role of leader. Fearless leaders show others through example that they have confidence in God’s Word and how He does things. They can fully trust God’s promises and are confident in allowing their children to do the work God has in store for them.
Today’s Reflection: What did I learn about myself? How has focusing on living fear free helped you? Did you notice any more time on your hands when you weren’t worried? What were you able to accomplish today?
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