The biggest thief of a settled spirit

The biggest thief of a settled spirit is not just a thief in the night, although that’s when it strikes me the most lately. This thief sneaks through the door of inner peace any time in the day or night. Sometimes it poses as an angel of light. A deceiver. 

Telling you things that are not true. Things that poison your spirit. Things that make it anything but settled. Things that make it rattled instead.

This thief is FEAR.

Fear has been defined as:

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

And, so it is.

Yesterday, I explained to my Bible study friends that sometimes I feel as if I’m living in the Matrix movie. I don’t remember much of anything about this movie (honestly, I didn't get most of it when I watched it some time ago), except for what my husband reminded me of the other day.

He said that in the movie, everything around the characters was a mirage, a deception, and only by taking the red pill were they able to see the truth. It was only then that the lights really went on and they saw through the deception all around them.

"The red pill and its opposite, the blue pill, are pop culture symbols representing the choice between embracing the sometimes painful truth of reality (red pill) and the blissful ignorance of illusion (blue pill)."--Wikipedia on The Matrix movie

Sometimes I feel like life is this way. Oh, everything around me isn’t a lie. That’s not what I mean. What I mean is that when I am not aware of my fears, I can tend to let them take the better part of me. I can tend to let them rule my life, and pretty soon, I am cowering to fear, instead of basing my decisions on the truth.

What will they think of me if I say that?

What will happen if I step out?

I have a hard time going to sleep. Tonight will be no different. I’ll lay there for hours.

What’s going to happen to my family?

See how these fearful thoughts can sneak in like a thief and steal our peace? This thief might even pose as

healthy concern

awareness

being in control.

But, these are fears that are really stealing a settled spirit.

“Fear always distorts our perception and confuses us as to what is going on. Love is the total absence of fear. Love asks no questions. Its natural state is one of extension and expansion, not comparison and measurement. Love, then, is really everything that is of value, and fear can offer us nothing because it is nothing.” –Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D.

 Fear is nothing.

Wow. Haven’t thought of it as nothing, but if it is really false evidence appearing as real, it is truly nothing.

The opposite of fear is faith.

My faith is in God who says that He is Love. And, perfect love casts out all fear. (I John 4:18)

I held up my Bible and told my Bible study friends, 

“It’s like this is the little red pill.”

Sounds like kind of a crude comparison.

The Bible compared to a little red pill?

What God says in His Word is my anchor.  The truth and hope God gives is the anchor of my soul.

The Truth that can be relied upon when my fears seek to steal my peace.

Jesus says, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you." Luke 17:6

Lets ask the Author of our faith for more faith to replace our fears.

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

He promises to be faithful.

“…for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." Hebrews 11:5b

These are promises that can lead us to a settled spirit.

Thanks for stopping by, friend!

This post is part three is a series titled How to Have a Settled Spirit. Here are part one and part two.

Linking up today with Coffee for Your Heart and Three Word Wednesday.