Summary: Learn our to assault your fears and free your faith.
Courage: Attacking Your Fear
A lady died in 1916 named Hetty Green. She was called America’s greatest miser. When she died, she left an estate valued at $100 million. But she was so miserly that she ate cold oatmeal in order to save the expense of heating the water. When her son had a severe leg injury, she took so long trying to find a free clinic to treat him that his leg had to be amputated because of advanced infection. I am sure she was worried about losing her wealth, so she didn’t even enjoy her life!
1- All of our enemies, Satan included, want us to be controlled by fear. (miserable and ineffective)
The Collins Dictionary defines fear as a feeling of distress, apprehension, or alarm caused by impending danger, pain, etc. - or to be afraid (to do something) or of (a person or thing).
2- God desires for you to experience an “abundant life”. (Jn. 10:10)
3- Three types of fear: 1- Rational. 2- Irrational. 3- Imaginative.
4- Believers must learn how to act in faith in spite of whatever fear we might have.
This fantastic story illustrates several actions we must take in order to exercise courage and attack our fear.
1- Get to Know God Personally. (Many things are just too big for you alone!)
1. Real challenge to spend quality time getting to know God. (Even for Christians)
2. Faith comes directly from the Word. (Rom. 10:14)
(1) We know Daniel read the Word. (Dan. 9:2)
(2) Do whatever you have to do to get the “Word of God” in your life.
3. Become a man or woman of prayer. (Not stated – but see Daniel’s witness to them)
2- Get Experienced at Faith Building.
1. Do it before you have to have to!!!
2. Illus. Aesop’s fable: Boar sharpening tusks
3. They developed courage and faith regarding the “king’s meat”. (Dan. 1:8-20)
4. Work on positive self-talk.
3- Fellowship with the Right People.
1. Encourage one another, limit the input of fear in your life.
2. What the text doesn’t say but likely happened! (Discussions, situations, etc.)
3. You had better find somebody to grow your faith with!!! (Spouse = wonderful)
4. You had better stay away from somebody else!!!
4- Learn to be Faithful Where God has You.
1. These three Hebrew were prospering where they were, though they might not have wanted to be there.
2. Get solid now if you don’t want to be shaky in the future!
5- Act Courageous and Do What You Know is Right in the Face of Your Fear.
1. Every time!!! – If you can’t do it now, you won’t be able to do it in the future. (Heb. 11:6)
2. Were they afraid?? I think so!!!
3. Courage is the conquest of fear, not the absence of it. (10 seconds between being a hero or a zero)
4. What you are doing right now is determining your future!!!
VIZUALIZE: Imagine your life controlled by either faith or fear, – now Choose!
2 Tim. 1:7 “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind.”
ACTION: Do what you know God wants you to do irregardless of your fear!!! (Rom. 8:28)