Keys to Living Victoriously – Free from Fear and Worry, Pt. 2

Don’t Give into Worry or Fear

Did you know: 1

40% of what you worry about will never happen.

30% of what you worry about, or fear, are things that happened in the past and can’t be changed.

10% of what we worry about are considered by most to be insignificant issues.

12% of what we worry about are issues about our health that will not happen.

This means that 92% of what we fear or worry about will never take place. Only 8% of anything we worry about can be considered legitimate concerns. Only 8% legitimate concerns—and those we are to pray!

When you are controlled by worry and fear, you rob yourself of the authority God has given you as His child and as a citizen of heaven.

Jesus said not to worry,

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matt. 6:34 NLT

But unfortunately, many of us worry. Perhaps a negative doctor’s report, or a lack of finances, or a low paying job, or perhaps a relationship issue or some other trial.

You are united with Christ, adopted into God’s family. You’ve been invited to live in Christ and his victory, free from fear and worry. You are no longer a fearful slave, but a beloved child of God, a citizen in his kingdom with all of God’s rights and privileges.

Don’t allow circumstances to rob you of your peace in Christ. Jesus is your peace and victory. He can ask us to do the impossible because He is with us.

Paul also states clearly not to worry about anything.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7 NLT

We are to live in Christ, trusting Him in everything and enjoying the journey called life. Sadly, for many—including Christians—worry and fear grip them.

Respected Christian neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf in her book “Who Switched Off My Brain” says that 87% to 95% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think about affects us physically and emotionally.

She goes on to say that fear triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones. People are physically and emotionally ill due to worry, fear, and negative thinking.

Proverbs states this about worry,

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. Prov. 12:25 NKJV

Worry ruling in your heart can lead to depression. Remember, you have a choice: trust or worry. Worry is a form of unbelief, a lack of trust. Persistent worry will eventually breed fear. Fears can turn into phobias.

Steps to Live Free of Worry and Fear

The first step, pray with thanksgiving from a believing heart.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7 NLT

Prayer is communion with God. Prayer should be as normal as breathing for the Christian. Your life is found in Christ, the Spirit is leading and guiding you daily. Prayer should be normal conversation with your best friend. You rest in him through prayer, releasing worry and receiving his peace.

Prayer with thanksgiving is an expression of confident faith in God. Faith is the assurance that what God has promised will be realized. Peace is the fruit of your confidence that God has heard you. Peace then guards your heart against worry and fear.

Prayer promises to bring you into a place of God’s rest and peace.

You are to give thanks IN THE MIDST of everything, not just when circumstances are favorable.

Your circumstances are not the problem; it’s your perception of them that is the problem. You have unlimited resources to complete the assignment you’ve been given. Any limitations are self-imposed, they are not from God.

God is always good—you can trust Him; but He is not always predictable. When you require complete understanding of every situation, you have brought God to your level!

God has chosen to co-labor with you, to work through you here on earth. You are His delegated authority here—your prayers bring His world to ours!

In my book Fulfill Your Dreams, I devote an entire chapter to overcoming worry and fear, titled Worry Free Living.

The second step, learn how-to live-in Jesus (Phil. 4:7). Then His peace will guard your heart.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and our life. He is the vine; we are the branches. We are to remain in him closely, just like a branch to a vine or tree. He said apart from him we could do nothing. Anything less than fully living in Christ is lukewarm faith. How can you fully trust someone that you are not in close relationship with?

Jesus is the friend who is closer than a brother. Jesus said the Father would send the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, helper, and friend.

We make living in Christ complicated, but really, it’s about the value we place on our relationship with Him. I’ll put time, energy, and money into what I value. Who is Jesus to you?

Jesus said we are to,

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 NLT

Most of our anxiety and worry is caused by calculating without God. We look at five loaves and two fish and reason it won’t work!

The reason many worry and fear is simply because they have the wrong priorities. For many people (including Christians), they are seeking security in the things of this world rather than in the Creator of this world.

We are supposed to seek God, not the answer to our problems. Answers to pray and divine strategy flow from our relationship with God.

Faith operates from trust and rest. If your mind is unrenewed to who you are in Christ and what God has promised you, you won’t be at rest in the circumstances of life.

Faith doesn’t come from the mind, but from the heart. But a renewed mind creates a framework for faith to operate from God’s perspective—where nothing is impossible.

Jesus has given us all authority; the devil has been stripped of authority—but he regains authority through our unbelief.

Jesus didn’t model a response to the devil, he modeled a response to the Father. He modeled a dependent relationship on the Holy Spirit and the Father.

The third step: keep your thoughts on what is true, right, and pure.

Paul stated,

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:8-9 NLT

You must adjust your thinking. Changing how you think will help maintain emotional and physical health. Learn how to identify fear that causes worry.

The writer of Proverbs states,

“All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]. Prov. 15:5 AMPC

Forebodings are thoughts about what could happen or go wrong, they are fear based!

Train your mind to honestly evaluate what you are thinking about. An unrenewed mind will focus on worry—the root is tied to fear.

God’s word will counter the fear. God’s word is truth, it guides, it directs, it is a weapon, and it builds your faith.

As you pray and meditate on God’s word, your faith and confidence in God will grow. I can’t stress this enough, know what God has said!

Lastly, learn to rejoice in God.

You can’t live in victory if you are bound by worry and fear.

Phil. 4:4 NKJV Paul tells the Philippians to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4) and he tells them to rejoice because it will safeguard their faith (Phil. 3:1).

Joy comes from our new life in Christ as we abide in Him. We can have God’s peace and joy, fruit of the Spirit, because He is our life and hope!

Paul modeled this in Acts 16. Chained in prison and suffering, he rejoices and worships at midnight and God brings a breakthrough!

The more in love with Jesus you are, the easier it is to rejoice always. The more that Jesus is your closest friend, you will count it all joy through the trials and troubles of life.

Genuine faith knows that God holds everything in His hands. You are His beloved. You are free of worry and fear, you are rejoicing in the Lord always!

Peter explained why we can rejoice,

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 1 Pet. 1:8 NLT

Final Thoughts

Peace is to be the normal condition for a follower of Christ. Peace comes from trust that is established through relationship.

To remain in His peace, you must remain in Jesus. Most of us know His promises of protection, deliverance, and provision, but few really believe and act in faith with them.

At times when we are in difficult circumstances, God may seem like an unkind friend, unjust judge, and unnatural father, but He is none of these. As you walk with Him and learn to trust His word and promises, you will abide in His peace and joy. You will become confident in prayer and waiting upon Him.