Mark Driscoll wrote in his new book, Spirit-Filled
Jesus, “God keeps talking about our fears because we
keep forgetting to live by faith in His kingdom.” True?
Oh, so true! Much we encounter in this world has the
capacity to drive fear deep into our hearts, which is probably one reason there’s
been a rise of people who struggle with panic attacks. Just to make a list of our
sources of fear can stir up anxiety.
Yet, I think if we get down to the bare bones of our anxiety
that it’s all about misplaced fear. That’s because, the truth is, we choose our fear source. And the
source of our fear makes all the difference. When we make the decision to fear
God, our fear turns to faith.
In Spirit-Filled Jesus,
to be released on October 16, Pastor Driscoll offers a simple solution checklist
of what we can implement when our fear begins to rise. One of these, well, more
than just one, are particularly helpful, I think, because of the way our whole
person—body, soul, and mind—is engaged and the Who we are engaged with.
Under Mark’s category of soul, he gives these self-check
questions:
· “How can you disrupt your fears by journaling,
praying, reading, worshiping, or listening?”
· “How can small daily practices keep you from
building up a large deficit in your relationship with the Lord?”
Additionally—and really something key in our current busy
American culture, under the category of life, Mark suggests we ask ourselves,
“In the midst of your demanding schedule, how can you create recovery breaks?”
Now question essentially draws attention to the fact that we need rest. But, as a woman in our
church Bible study group pointed out, we just don’t seem to know how to rest.
Mark counters with “The bigger key to energy management and
energy replenishment is to break free from fear-based living to live in
faith-based living.” One connection to this statement and rest is that our busyness is often linked to our fear of missing out, of not
“keeping up with the Jones’,” of being unsuccessful, and even the fear of
saying no—we often see prestige in being overinvolved, our name here and there.
In keeping with that, I found this statement by Mark very
poignant, “Exhaustion hits every believer, even the godliest and most gifted.”
We mustn’t think we are immune and don’t need rest. Even Jesus took time out.
Wrong-sourced fear drives us away from faith and into all
kinds of exhausting, detrimental behaviors and emotions. But faith enables rest
and renewal, especially when we use Mark’s suggested daily practices, ones that
slow us down and strengthen us—those practices are proactive and keep the fears
of this world from ruling us. Instead, they move us into a deeper relationship
with the One who casts out fear as His Presence invades our life through His
Spirit. Mark wrote, “Faith in God’s loving Presence is the answer to our
languishing fear.” That really sums it up.
Significant, too, is his description of the Presence of God
in our life, the Holy Spirit, being “like the hand of God the Father reaching down
to walk each of His sons and daughters lovingly and safely home to the Kingdom
of God.”
In this light, those daily practices, i.e. journaling,
praying, reading God’s Word, listening to God, all become precious practices
that will take you from fear to faith, and, as the Apostle Paul wrote, from
faith to faith and from glory to glory enabled by and through the power of the
Holy Spirit. (Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 3:18) That’s because it will keep you
focused on your real home, Zion, which will keep you going “from strength to
strength [increasing in victorious power]” until you appear before your God. (Psalm
84:7 AMP)
Build up your faith—disrupt
your fear!
And to help you do that, pick up a copy of Mark Driscoll’s
new book.
