Unmasked - Dare to Be the Real YouЗразок

[IMAGE CONTENT] DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE Fear is familiar to all of us. We fear rejection, the unknown, loss, and failure. The enemy wants to keep us trapped in his destruction, perversion, and hurt, but he cannot create, only destroy. We wear invisible masks to hide our fears, and the enemy thrives on this because we then do not deal with underlying issues. The masks we wear are not connected to the way God created us to be. God did not intend for us to be bound by these masks. He wants us to live as the real us. Fear is an enemy of God because it steals the very life Jesus came for us to have. We have to make a decision to conquer fear by removing the mask. If undealt with, fear will creep into every area of our life. Scripture says to "fear not" 366 times! We cannot allow fear into our lives as this makes it harder for us to grow spiritually; it paralyzes and grounds us. We need to find the root of our fears. Why? Because fear can obscure our view of God, dilute our confidence, and crush our courage. Our fear could be rooted in our desire to control our lives and the outcomes of everything we are involved in. We feel that we can steer the world and our part in it without God’s help. When we identify the root of our fear and deal with it, we can overcome it with the help of Jesus. Let’s look at how Paul responds to fear in Philippians 4. He unmasked fear by rejoicing and worshipping. It may be the last thing we want to do, but it is the first thing we must do. Paul also says we are to release our fears by giving them to God. We are to remember that what we fear the most is often where we trust God the least. Where our fear lies is where we must trust God the most. Often, we choose not to release our fears because we like being in control. TAKEAWAYS Know who you are in Christ.  (Rom. 12:2, John 14:27, Luke 10:19) Know Who is in you.  (Gal. 5:22, Luke 4:18-19, John 8:36) Know Whom you serve and in Whose likeness you have been made.  (Jer. 40:4, Is. 9:4, Jam. 4:7) DECLARATIONS Father God, I recognize today that I have been wearing the mask of fear for too long. With Your help, I choose to take off the mask of fear, and to take hold of Your courage and strength. You who are in me, are greater than he that is in the world. I receive Your freedom and liberty today, and I take off the mask of fear once and for all! Amen. REFLECTIONS What value is a close relationship with God in overcoming fears? How does Phil 4:8 encourage you to conquer your fears?