How do we identify fear in our lives?

September 19 - September 23, 2022 | Always Peachy Devotionals | Fear Week 3

Is it fall yet?

By the end of this week, it will be! I can hardly wait. How many of you have already broken down and started eating pumpkin-flavored everything? (I may or may not have grabbed a pumpkin scone from Starbucks the other day, and it may or may not have been utterly glorious. Just saying.)

I hope and pray that this study of fear is an encouragement to each of you. Fear is one of those topics that strikes at the heart of who I am, so a lot of these posts are getting kind of personal. For me, the most frustrating part of living with fear is how it creeps into every corner of my life.

The trouble with fear is that it can take over our lives without us even knowing it. We can become so accustomed to fear directing all our decisions that we aren’t even aware of its presence. We don’t even recognize that fear is what’s driving us until we start asking questions.

So that’s what we’re doing this week. We’re going to talk about how to identify fear in our lives:

• September 19 - Basing our lives on “what if”

• September 20 - Avoiding all possible conflict

• September 21 - Believing gossip or rumors

• September 22 - Hating change

• September 23 - Living in denial

Get ready for a tough week, but it will be worth it on the other side. And if you recognize any of these behaviors or choices, rest assured that you aren’t alone. We’ve all done these things. Fear is something each person has to fight, but you don’t have to fight it by yourself.

For our memory verse this week, we’re going to Psalm 56:3-4. This is a classic verse that’s a good weapon to have in your back pocket for the moments when fear takes hold of you.

That’s good isn’t it? When we’re afraid, we can put our whole weight on who God is. We can be confident in His promises, because He never fails. We can follow Him with our whole heart because He won’t ever steer us wrong.

We don’t have to be afraid of people. People will attack us or hurt us or hurl insults at us for lots of different reasons, but most of those reasons stem from fear. So let’s not be like those people who are directed by their fears. Let’s be different. Let’s be better. Let’s be like Jesus, who experienced fear but never let it control Him.

Praying for each one of you this week,

Amy

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