It was graduation week and a cold winter in Washington DC. Traveling from Washington DC to Maryland, I asked the man sitting next to me what he thinks life holds next for me. I just graduated and as many I had my own fears about how the next stage of  my life will turn out. Sensing my fear, he was quite for a while and I thought he did not hear me. He pulled over a cemetery by the roadside and asked me to get out of the car. I followed him as he walked closer to the cemetery .

 

“Many lying here will wish to have the opportunity you have again given the chance. It’s only a few who were courageous enough to live their lives. Many did not because of fear. Can you imagine the number of talents buried right here?” – he finally said. I will never forget that day because the cold itself shook the fear out of me after standing outside for that long 😄. It was one of those lessons you never forget. 

 

I was told not to fear and step out boldly in the world as many students are told when they graduate, but was never told how to do it. I once knew someone who will not step outside his house because his fear has now matured to anxiety disorder. Fear is real. We need to learn how to deal with it in order to help our younger generation as well. One of my favorite questions to many people given the chance is how do you handle your fears. You are able to tell how far a man will go by the way they handle their fears. But what do you do when the fear is there

 

A couple of years ago, a neighbor lost their spouse and they had little children. I had lost my mother two years before that and I could just imagine what the kids were going through. On the other hand, it dawned on me that their mother could be going through much worse; the loss of a spouse and probably the bread winner of the house. Suddenly, the fear started creeping in on me. I was afraid that I will lose my spouse as well. It will show up in my dreams and torment me every time he travelled. I gathered the courage and told another believer about this fear. She helped me trace the fear back from when it started and asked me to talk to God about it. Whenever those thoughts came, I will take the time to acknowledge and speak the word of God concerning that fear. Isaiah 46:4 was one of my favorites. Talk about your fears with someone you trust. I believe the fear is no longer a fear when you talk about it. You have just allowed light to shine on it. 

 

Talk to God about it. It is unfortunate, but most believers forget God when it comes to fears. The fear is only there because you forgot about God’s power in the first place. We develop our fears in areas where we have diminished God. When we take our eyes off God and focus on the problems, the problems become bigger and impossible. Fears of getting the same sicknesses of a relative, fear of losing a loved one….Have you asked yourself where God is, in all these. If only we will take our fears to God, we will see the fear dwindle.Ulcers like many autoimmune diseases have been associated with stress and fear. Fearing about the disease is bringing another kind. What I feared have come upon me – Job said in Job 3:25. Be careful what you’re afraid of that you’re not bringing to God. Talk to God about it and the fear will lose its power over you. 

 

Studies show that we are born with only two fears – falling and loud noise. We learn all other fears. Many children are afraid of a dark room because they believe a monster could hide under the bed. But if you are able to convince a kid, there is no monster even with the dark, they gradually get out of that fear. Where do kids learn this from? Kids learn this fear from the movies they watch or from an older sibling who told them about a monster and a dark room. Similarly, it will surprise you what good it will do for you to know where the fear is coming from. Go on this journey with Holy Spirit and you will be surprised what you will discover. Some fears are from certain events and situations that have marked our minds and emotions for years but with the help of the Holy Spirit we can receive our peace.

 

Fear is a spirit and cannot be wished away – 2 Timothy 1:7 . To defeat fear, you need faith. ” Feed your faith and watch your fear starve to death” – John Mason (You’re Born an original, Don’t die a Copy). Many sit in the hallways of their minds with canvases painting pictures of doom over and over again. They then embellish the dark canvas with yet darker sparkles. They repeat this over and over in their minds. But perfect love cast out fear – 1 John 4:18. Knowing and believing that God loves you will cast out the fear. Our circumstances does not determine the presence of God – Neil Acheampong. It is human nature to default to our fears. We need a constant reminder that we are perfectly loved by God from the word of God to counter that.

 

 

Fear is debilitating. It cripples you and keeps you immovable.If we will be honest, we all have fears. Social media has not made it even easier on our youth.I have also noticed that we have different fears at different stages of our lives. A dark room was my greatest fear when I was a kid but not so much any more. My fears I will say have matured to adult fears, fearing the things in life itself. Our children and youth have their fears too. We have to encourage them to talk about their fears. That will start with us acknowledging that we are not super humans and we have fears too. Many issues in our youth are caused by fears. They have forgotten how much they are loved by God. It is not enough to just know of God’s love for you but to believe. If only we will be constant reminders to them of the love of God for them, the Bible says it will cast out the fears. It will liberate them to live fully with talents and abilities God has given them.

 

In the teaching from the series – Sovereign test – Our Wilderness Experience, our senior pastor (Neil Acheampong) talks about the Israelites receiving their daily manna from God in the wilderness. We learnt that our lives as believers are exact mirror copies of the Israelites. We have been saved from slavery from a place called Egypt (Hell) and we are on our way to the promise land. Heaven is not the promised land for the believer in this case but it a place of abundance promise to us by God. Wells we did not dig, vineyards we did not plant, castles we did not build. Before we get to the promise land we would have to travel in the wilderness where there will be testings to grow our faith for the bigger and better things ahead of us.

 

Have you ever wondered why the manna only came in the mornings and not anytime else? Because as breakfast, it was important for their daily energy hence work. It is important then to have our daily bread before we step up for the day. Scientist and nutritionist popularly say that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. The body has been starving through the night during sleep. Therefore the first food the body receives when we wake up will determine how the body will perform during the day. Most of us religiously follow the breakfast being important rule but we forget our spiritual breakfast. If a natural breakfast will determine how your body functions and therefore your efficiency during the day, how much more your spiritual breakfast. 

 

 

Jesus in the Book of Luke 10 was traveling and visited the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his message whilst Martha prepared something for Jesus to eat as the Middle Eastern culture encourages. Jesus did not scold Martha for cooking, so please don’t stop cooking when you have guest 😀. Martha was worried and troubled about many things as Jesus said in the chapter. Are you serving out of a worried and trouble heart? Is your job causing you sleepless night? Are you worried about that presentation? Worried about the day? Jesus said only one thing is needful. SIT at my feet and have breakfast and the worry and trouble will dissipate. You will also have a new energy to start your day.

 

 

 

 

Exodus 16:1-36

Deuteronomy 8:3

John 6:32-35

 

 

 

• There are seasons in which we have to wait and like children, we do not like waiting. Our waiting times though, are the times where we get closer to God. During these periods we tend to depend on God for answers. These periods can also be times of discovery. If we are careful, we would find talents and abilities that God has placed in us that we never knew we had. If only we will enjoy in this season, our eyes would be opened to treasures hidden in us. Treasures needed for the next season. Waiting also teaches us patience which most of us suffers from. It takes patience to catch the right .- Psalm 123:2; Hosea 12:6: Psalm 37:7

 

Exercising of faith

• There are also seasons where we need to exercise our faith as believers. Many believers have sat on many church pews for many years listening to stories of many who exercise their faith in the Bible. But unfortunately, many do not exercise their faith. The righteous shall live by faith – Romans 16:17. For a believer to live, he will have to use his faith at some point. The gear to wear in this season is faith. I personally listen to many sermons filled with messages of faith in this season. I look for God in his word. During times of sickness, I wrote Bible verses on healing and said them to myself continuously. When it come to faith, we have to convince ourselves and therefore we have to continuously hear the word of God. There will be seasons where you would have to curse that disease in the name of Jesus by yourself. There will be times where you would have to believe you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you even when you’re trembling with fear. A season is coming or have already come when you would have to trust God on your own. – James 2:26; Mark 9:23

 

Testing

• There are seasons where we are tested for what we believe in. Testing times come in many forms. Testing is important for our growth. As a father, God wants us to grow. Our growth is gradual. Little by little God helps us in our growth. So even though it is hard to do (rejoice in our afflictions), we can still see growth even in our testings if we do. Our testings leads to character. These periods are also teachable times where allow the Holy Spirit to teach us. We are also able to help others when they are going through similar times in the future. I have found words and felt sympathy when I see someone grieving a loved one because I have been there. A person who has been through a miscarriage is able to give a word of comfort to another going through it by the grace given to her. We also receive grace as our gear/attire for this season. Grace can only be receive so in this period, you wake up and receive God’s grace everyday for these times. Thank God we go through our valleys but not stay there. I also found some lasting relationships during these periods. God never leaves us alone in that valley but if would open our eyes, he always brings help. I found a group of friends who will pray for me and even visit and encourage. – 1 Peter 1:7 ; James 1:2-4

 

Harvest

• The gathering of things planted. A joyful time. A time of abundance, joy , peace, good relationship etc. The right gear/attire for harvest is to acknowledge the Lord’s part in harvest. A farmer must do his part first by planting. If we would dig our hands in the dirt wherever we find ourselves in life and plant, there will be harvest wherever we are. This is often seen in our offerings. I have had many financial breakthroughs which I believe I can attribute to the little I bring to God’s house. A farmer during harvest is also careful not to eat all his produce but to plant some. Whatever you have, sow and your season of harvest will come. – 2nd Corinthians 9:10; Exodus 23:16

 

Thanksgiving

• This season for a believer should be a continual season; for what do we have that we did not receive. Thanksgiving should be our daily gear/attire. Whatever season we find ourselves we must believe it is for a reason. Jeremiah 17:7-8 We are like trees planted by rivers of waters. If planted, then we are intentionally situated in every season. We become thankful knowing that we are planted by rivers of water. Therefore we will be abundantly supplied as long as we keep trusting in the Lord for every season. Our attitude of gratitude is a determinant of our maturity in God. I believe it is a season of Thanksgiving. Be thankful for where you are. God is good and faithful!