On Sunday, Pastor Gaby preached about the Bondage of Fear. This is one of the most prevalent bondages – but didn’t God say over and over again, “Fear not”! (Psalms 23:4; 27:3)

Fear is the opposite of faith. If you open the door to fear, faith will step out. In 2 Timothy 1:7 we learn that fear (timidity, cowardice) is a spirit. Although a spirit cannot possess you but may have power and control over parts of a believer’s life. Therefore we need to ask ourselves, whether we side with the right prince, which is the Prince of Peace, who Himself experienced the worst fear imaginable in the Garden of Gethsemane, and overcame it.

There is another fear, which is a healthy fear. That one is not spiritual but meant to caution us of danger, e.g. if we see a snake. But spiritual fear is dangerous, particularly when it is the fear of man. People often succumb to peer pressure, wanting to please friends or trying to get approval from somebody. People pleasers do things they actually don’t want to do and put themselves in bondage, e.g. addictions. Bible talks of that kind of fear as a trap (Proverbs 29:25).

It is only important what God thinks of you, and not any other person (John 12:42). Fear of man causes us to reject the grace of God (John 18:13-27). In Galatians 2:20-21 Peter was trying to please the Jews by pretending not to be part of the converted Gentiles. Paul rebuked him.

We should work as for the Lord, not for people (Colossians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:21). The antidote of fear is allowing the love of God to dominate us (1John 4:18, John 3:16). It will drive fear out. 🌍❤