The Source Of Our Greatest Fear

What is the source of our greatest fear? As a young adult or teenager, I don't believe your greatest fear is your career, your future, or your relationships. And not even your own self-worth or the break-up of your family. I believe all of those things are affected by the fear of not knowing God and His presence in your life. To know God truly is the source of our greatest courage.

Far is my greatest fear. Being distanced, separated, or away from the presence of God is my greatest fear. I am most secure when I am in His presence and when I know that He is near. When my relationship with Him is solid. And the word Far has only a one letter difference from the word fear. The letter E.

So, here are 4 things that begin with the letter E that will help us to overcome our greatest fear. We fear all kinds of things when our circumstances of this present age become larger than life and separate us from God. The inflation of circumstances (and ultimately the minimization of your Creator) will overcome your emotions and your actions resulting in fear and ultimately depression. And many other negative things.

It is trust in His presence that brings young people peace. Why? Because He is greater than anything we face. Because He is. 

Fear comes in many forms. Pain, sickness, trial, poverty, hardship, and broken relationships all cause fear. But, when these things come into our life, knowing the Presence and the nearness of God helps us to deal with these. I have learned in 30 years of Youth Ministry that the closer I am to God, the further away fear is from me. No matter what form it takes. The closer I am to God, the easier it is to combat circumstances that create fear. 

Here are 4 ways to overcome fear with the letter E:

1. When I Ear who God is, I will not fear anything else. He is Omni. All or above. To hear and know and understand that He is sovereign and to know that He is creator reminds me that He is sufficient. The knowledge of the Holy one brings peace. There is so much demonic deception in the American Western culture about God. That He causes fear or that He cannot do anything about our fears. The Millennial generation is fed a diet of false teaching and it takes truth to overcome it. If war, enemies, and foes, or sickness, disease, and trial encamp around me, my heart does not fail because I know and have heard of the greatness of God (Psalm 18).

Earing the truth about God is critical to our knowledge of Him and experiencing His Omni-ness and over-coming existence

2.  When I Enter God's presence, I will not fear anything else. He is Omni-present. The only difference between FEAR and FAR is one letter. I know that is cheesy, but, it is easy to remember. Placing God in the momentary processes of your day will help you overcome fear. We do that through worship. Through powerful music or singing. There is a reason why sorts teams use music as a emotional force. It is like a companion. The further God is from your life, the closer fear is to your life. Having a fear of His presence is to remove the feelings of having fear of anything else. His withness is ominous. And it comes into our lives through worship and praise. He prepares a table for us in the midst of our enemies. (Psalm 23)

Entering His presence through worship or prayer creates a culture of Omni-presence

3.  When I Empower God, I will not fear anything else. He is Omni-potent. We place fear in things and in people we should not. The created is not more powerful than the creator. We must think super-naturally with our mind when something stands against us. It's like walking down a street at midnite by yourself, or, walking down a street at midnite with 4 armed and trained body guards. Your swagger is real when the body guards are with you. Empowering God to be your ever-present help in time of need is a game-changer. There is nothing more powerful than God, and God is not weaker than anything else. (Psalm 27)

Empowering God allows Him to be stronger than our circumstance and present in our weakness 

4.  When I Eat God's Word, I will not fear anything else. He is Omni-scient. All-knowing. Princes or Kings may stand against me with words and with condemnation or even without a cause, but, I have a ready answer. Even Christ Himself came against Satan with the Word of God. What makes us think we can stand against him with anything less? We get beat down all day from a culture that is relentless against our faith. The only way to beat it back is to use the Words of God. Words above what we can come up with ourselves (Psalm 119).

Eating God's word removes the ease with which I believe the negative worlds of my culture or circumstances and gives me wisdom

When I EAR the truth of God, ENTER into the presence of God, EMPOWER God in my life to be who He is, and EAT the Word of God, I overcome fear. When I am near God I revere Him. When I am far from God I revere man or circumstance. Choose to develop your fear of the nearness of God. And you will have no fear of anything else.