Moving From Fear to Freedom

INTRODUCTION

     Dear Reader,

     I admit it - fear is no stranger to me. My earliest recollection of its presence in my life traces back to my preschool days. At that time, my family lived in Alberta, about 40 minutes' drive from an area famous for dinosaur fossils. My imagination worked overtime, especially if I woke during the night. I was sure that a dinosaur lived under my bed, and that it would grab my ankles if I dared step onto the floor.
     My childish thinking told me that leaving my room meant losing my life. So, rather than fall prey to the tyrannosaurus rex, I'd stand on my bed and take a flying leap toward the door to get beyond its grasp. My strategy obviously worked - I'm still alive and have two ankles to prove it!
     Fear stayed with me when I graduated from kindergarten to elementary school. My mom occasionally asked me to fetch a jar of peaches or pickles from the basement storage room. I obliged, but only after mustering every ounce of courage within my skinny frame. I was certain that girl-eating monsters lived in the basement and that they could outrun me on the stairs. I ascended those stairs two by two, terrified that doing anything less would result in my becoming a monster's meal.
     As a grown woman, I can look back on those fears and laugh. But nowadays I face other fears that are anything but funny. I've worried about my kids' well-being. I've fretted over our bank account. I've stewed over feeling inadequate, and I've panicked when personal storms have blown in and threatened to shake my world.
     Can you relate?
     Be honest - I know you understand what I'm talking about. In preparing to write this book, I conducted a survey wherever I spoke at women's events. The results only confirmed what I suspected - I'm not the only woman who struggles with negative fear. It affects women of all ages and from all walks of life, often signaling its presence with a sense of apprehension, premature wrinkles, stomach pains, tension headaches, and sleepless nights. If left to run rampant, it can rob us of joy and the power-filled life that God intends for us.
     As I began studying fear as portrayed in the Bible, I discovered a fascinating truth: the first reference to fear is found in Genesis 3:8-10. It says, "Toward evening they (Adam and Eve) heard the LORD God walking about in the garden, so they hid themselves among the trees. The LORD God called to Adam, 'Where are you?' He replied, 'I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.'"
     Fear was not a part of God's agenda for His creation, but it slithered onto the scene when Adam and Eve sinned. It became a wedge between them and the One who created them for relationship with Himself.
     Unfortunately, fear is still on the scene today. It can negatively impact our relationship with God, just as it did for Adam and Eve. Or...here's the exciting part...it can be the catalyst that causes our relationship with Him to deepen. Every time we're afraid, we can either forget faith and try to do things our way (as if that's really going to work!), or we can acknowledge our fear and call out to God for help. When He answers, we experience Him in new ways. That's the upside of fear.
     Life is too short to spend it battling fear and its negative effects. Besides, God has better things in store for us. He wants us to embrace each day wholeheartedly and make every minute count. He wants us to live to our full potential and leave a mark on coming generations. He wants us to impact our families, our churches, our communities, and ultimately the world for Himself. I want that, too. Do you?
     If so, this book is for you. You'll be inspired by the real-life stories of other women who have faced their fears and discovered new truths about God in the midst. You'll be challenged as you see how Biblical heroes and heroines dealt with fear. And you'll be encouraged as you learn what God's Word says about fear and how to rise above it.
     At the end of each chapter you'll find several practical helps. First, there's the section called "Points for Progress." These questions are designed for individual or group study, to apply truth and encourage deeper personal growth in our lives.
     Next, you'll find a section called "Promises to Ponder." Copy these Scriptures on recipe cards and post them where you'll see them often-on the fridge, near your kitchen sink, on the dashboard of your car, on the bathroom mirror, near your computer, or beside your baby's changing table. Filling our minds with the truth of God's Word equips us to face fearful situations when they come along. His Word renews our minds and helps us to view life through His eternal perspective rather than through our own finite binoculars. Fear takes flight in the face of God's infinite person and power!
     You'll also find a section called "Praying the Promises" in which I've turned those Bible verses into prayers. Pray them for yourself or on the behalf of others struggling with fear. God promises to hear those whose hearts belong to Him and who ask anything according to His will (1 John 3:21,22). We know beyond a doubt that overcoming fear is what He desires for His children, so we can pray with confidence and expect Him to answer.
     As I've written this book, my understanding of fear's potential negative impact on my life has grown. But so has my understanding of the upside of fear. I pray that, from this day forward, God will enable me to view fear in a different light - as a tool in His hands to experience Him in new ways. I pray the same for you!
     I invite you to email me about how God has used this book in your life - as women, we can encourage each other in our spiritual journey. In fact, give a copy of this book to a friend, or donate one to your church library. Ask your public librarians to bring it in so that other women in your community can benefit from its message. Let's live life the way God intended - in rest and relationship with Him. And let's make a difference in the world around us.
     By the way, I write a free monthly online newsletter called "Growing With Grace." If you'd like to receive it, simply visit my website, click on the 'free ezine' link, and follow the directions. I hope you enjoy it!
     Know you are loved,
     Grace

Taken from: Moving From Fear to Freedom
Copyright © 2007 by Grace Fox
Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR
Used by Permission
www.harvesthousepublishers.com