LET IT GO…

/0 Comments/in /by
If there seems to be one overriding emotion in the movie “Frozen” it is fear. The King and Queen are fearful for their daughters and so the girls are separated and grow up alone. Elsa is afraid of what she might inadvertently do with her power and so she puts up barriers between her and those she loves. Anna fears being alone and so she ends up engaged to a man she had just met. Hans being the youngest of 13 brothers fears insignificance and is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure he had a place in the world. Kristoff fears for his business, who wants to buy ice when it is always cold? And the villagers? Well like villagers everywhere it seemed that they are afraid of everything. It seemed that the only characters in the story who weren’t afraid of something was Sven the Reindeer and Olaf the snow man.
Fear isn’t just the overriding theme of the movie Frozen, but sometimes it seems that fear is the overriding theme of our lives too.
The word ‘Fear’ has different meanings in different contexts. There are actually several different words used to convey the idea of Fear.
In one context  the  word Fear simply means to be in awe of, or to revere or respect something. For example, In the Bible it is used for the ‘Fear of God.’
Then in another context Fear is a natural life saving instinct. This is the type of fear that keeps us from doing silly things, like stepping off tall buildings, jumping in front of moving vehicles and  putting out hands in fire.
In yet another context Fear is an uncontrollable or extreme emotion that grips the human heart.. It’s where we get our word  Terror or Phobia. And this is a Natural Fear taken to the extreme level. If the first two type of fears keeps us living, the third type keeps us from living. The website www.phobialist.com actually lists over 500 different fears, things like
Acousticophobia- Fear of noise or
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens or
Cometophobia- Fear of comets or
Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school.
And the context of this word is,  ‘Being afraid to do things or for that matter even to try things, because you are afraid that you might fail.’
This is the fear that makes us live mediocre ordinary lives, never taking chances, never trying to change anything, content to simply drift along. This is the spirit of average, and it keeps us in a rut.
And Paul tells us in the Bible that this extreme paralysing fear has not been given to us by God. The question is, if God hasn’t given it to us then where does it come from?
If you are an ardent  fan of Starwars , then you may have come across this statement in the Starwars episode “The Phantom Menace”,  Yoda tells young Anikan that ‘Fear comes from the dark side’
That’s right, fear comes from the dark side. The Devil wants you to be afraid to do anything for God, to say anything for God or to even try anything for God.
And we CAN’T let that happen.
The spirit of fear robs you of what God wants for you. When you are governed by fear, there are things that you will never do, because of your fear of things that may never happen. And so when you are presented with an opportunity to try something new and you don’t , because you project your fears into the situation.
So here, I am not just simply going to tell you  like the song in Frozen to ‘Let it go’ or ‘Let your fear go’,  but we want to help you by looking at the 4 practical steps to deal with our fears.
1. Face the fear 
The biggest problem is when most of us try to hide
our fears or do not prefer to talk about it.
Uncontrolled fears are the scheme of the enemy to paralyse us and stop us from enjoying life to the fullest as God planned for us.
The more we hide our fears the deeper it establishes itself.
So firstly it is important we identify the fear in us , then it is very important to break the secret and bring the fear to
light and share our fears with someone whom we trust and can help us out.
Why should we do that?
Why can’t I  just do a private prayer asking God to remove our fear.
In psalm 139: 23, the psalmist doesn’t ask God to Remove his fears, he asks God to Reveal his fear.
The first step to fight your fear is to ask God to Reveal
your fear and then do all that is possible to bring that fear to light.
2. List your lies 
Behind every fear is a strong lie. Fear gets lodged in us not because of the fearful situation, but because of the lies associated with the fear-  the lies the enemy speaks into our minds about that situation. These lies stay behind in our mind and goes deeper into our emotion and will. So what seems baseless to some of us , will seem real and true to the one who faces that fear. The person may be a strong follower of Christ and may even know from the scripture that fear is baseless, but still feels  fearful about that particular situation.
For example
Someone who has a Fear of driving, the underlying lie could be ‘I will die in an accident if I drive.’
Someone who has a Fear of marriage, the underlying lie could be ‘My marriage will not work out and it will end up in divorce.’
Someone who has a Fear of exam, the underlying lie could be  ‘I will never be able to reach my parents expectations.’
Someone who has a Fear of talking to people, the underlying lie could be ‘I will not be accepted by people as I am boring and do not have an interesting personality’.
Someone who has a Fear of future the underlying lie could be ‘I will never be able to succeed in anything; I am not good at anything’.
The factor that holds our fear on to us are these lies.
So once we identify our fears it’s important we take
time to list the lies that has established the fears in our
life.
Pray and seek the help of someone who is older than you and mature,  to guide
you to identify the lies behind our fears.
3. The Faith Fight. 
Simply put, faith is the opposite of fear.
God wants us to walk by faith, but Satan wants us to walk by fear.
When we learn to live by faith and not let fear rule our
life, we can live a fulfilling life.
Faith in what? Faith in the word of God.
Once you have identified your fear and listed your lies, the next step is to replace each of these lies- associated with fear, with truth from the word of God.
The only antidote to a Lie is a truth. And there is nothing more truthful and lasting than the Word of God. So hear the word, read the word, write down the word,
memorise the word, meditate the word.
Romans 12:2 says Every time we meditate on the Word of God our minds are renewed and we have a clarity on what God’s will for us is.
Everytime the lies haunts us and brings in fear, then speak
the truth from the word of God. The more you speak
the truth the weaker those lies becomes. It’s not an
instant thing, it’s a constant exercise, an ongoing
battle.
Contunue speaking the truth and until one day you realise the fear that haunted
you so long, doesn’t have any more power over you.
When you echo your lie ‘I am anxious and afraid’, God says, ‘ You have Peace.  You are bold. You have a sound mind ‘.
How do we know this?
2 Tim 1:7  says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power,love and sound mind. ‘
4. Lock yourself in his love 
Now, here’s one of the most important keys to prevent fear:
Be filled with love.
We can cast out fear with love. Perfect love casteth
out fear.
Love is the only affection and emotion that does NOT
produce any fear. In fact, if we truly love God, we need
not fear anything…
As long as we have God’s love in our hearts and lives,
we can expect fear to never bother us. The moment
our love wavers, that’s the same moment  Fear
starts to creep in again.
I once read this beautiful illustration of a father and
two daughters.
A father and his two small daughters once went to the
pool to play. The father jumps into the water ; then one
of the little girls jumps into his arms in the water while
the other ponders by the pool side. The little girl by
the pool side gleefully watches her sister leaping in the water. She dances up and down as her sister splashes.
But when her dad invites her to do the same, she
shakes her head and backs away.
How many of us like the little girl spend life on the
edge of the pool? Consulting caution. Ignoring faith.
Never taking the plunge. Happy to stand outside the
pool and watch others enjoy their life . Preferring to
take no risk.
For fear of the worst, they never enjoy life at its best. I wonder what God has
in store for those standing by the edge of the pool.
Going back to the story……as the little girl stands at the
edge of the pool watching her dad and sister enjoying
in the pool….The father suddenly climbs out of the
pool. Before she could resist he carried the little girl in
his strong arms. …..walked with her towards the pool.
“No daddy….no daddy”, the girl cried.
But father said ,’You are safe in daddy’s hands baby. You are just going to be safe. ‘
They walked into pool. The little girl shut her eyes
tightly. She felt the cool water….she was scared….but
she also realised she was safe in her father’s hands.
Moments passed…..she opened her eyes…..the
fathers arms were still strong around her….she saw her
sister calling her to play. She looked at the father….he
loosened his hold and now merely held her hand. The
father slowly waded with her towards her sister.
Though hesitantly in the beginning, very soon the two
girls began to play with each other in the water.
The little girl didn’t even realise that the father was
NOT holding her now, but was watching her. ….from a
distance.
The little girl was now on her own….enjoying her time.
When love prevails, fear stops from existing.
When love overcomes, fear is suppressed.
And when love reigns, fear is banished.
You say ‘I am anxious and afraid’ but God says’ You are bold. You have a sound mind.  You have peace. ‘
So get ready to
Face your fears- Don’t hide it.
List your lies- Replace it with truth from the word of God.
Fight the good faith- Walk in faith in.the word of God.
Lock yourself in His Love- the everlasting Unfailing love of God  that protects us from all harm.

YOU CAN BE AN INFLUENCER IF YOU DO THIS…

/0 Comments/in /by

Have you ever walked into a stadium full of cheering fans? Or into a room full of chatter? Or into a restaurant where the customers are waiting for their orders to arrive? Or a bus that is running late and the passengers are getting impatient? We can all agree that there is a certain atmosphere in each of these settings. The anticipation, the wait, and the temperature in these settings reflect the social climate of the their gathering.

Most people that I’ve met are either of the two: a) they’ll either be an Influencer or b) the one being influenced.

Picture with me: A thermometer and a thermostat. One of these measures the temperature, and the other sets the temperature. It’s a very simple idea, but it can go as deep as you let it.

Most of us have difficulty crossing the line from Thermometers to Thermostats. What do I mean by this? We’re just reflecting the climate around us. In fact, nearly all of the seven billion people living on planet earth have been a Thermometer at some point in their lives. They say what others say, buy what others buy, wear what others wear, watch what others watch and do what others do. They don’t even give a thought to being a trendsetter or a pacesetter. They are just reflecting on what’s going on around them. Sometimes, they are not even thinking for themselves and are merely mimicking the culture, instead of creating it.

We’ve all heard the old adage:

“Everyone has influence.”

Every one of us has influence – whether you believe it or not. Sociologists will tell us that: The most introverted people will influence 10,000 others in their lifetime. Thermostat people are influencers. They set the climate or the temperature of their surrounding.

I believe, Jesus was a Thermostat. When the mob brought a woman accused of wrong and was at the verge of stoning her to death (John 8:1-11). Jesus sets the temperature like a thermostat. Jesus calmly set the tone and temperature and everyone walked away.

I believe that the people who decide on being a Thermostat are making two very important decisions.

1) They Decided to Live by a Set of Values

In other words, not reflecting what everyone else is doing around them, they don’t even care. But what they do care about is coming out with a set of standards.

It’s a set of core values that they are living by. They raise the bar for everyone else by living by those standards. What’s amazing to me is that companies have core values, teams have core values, so why not people?

Thermostat people live by a set of values.

But the second decision they make is…

2) They Add Value to Other People.

Through every interaction that they have, they’re always saying something or doing something that adds value to the people around them. Maybe it’s an encouraging word, maybe a gift, they’re offering help and assistance, going beyond the call of duty to add value to others. The other person walks away being glad to have met that thermostat personality.

What would happen if you choose to live by these two decisions?

Every one of us is a thermostat, we rub off on others whether we like it or not.

Leverage your influence for a cause greater than yourself. Identify yourself as an influencer. Don’t be a thermometer, be a thermostat instead.

Action Steps:

  • Make a list of your core values and picture the person you would like to become by reaching up for these core values.
  • In every interaction you have, even if it is for a moment or two, do or say something that adds value to another person. It can be your friends, your co-workers, your family or even people you meet at public places.

YOUR RESPONSE IS YOUR SUPERPOWER

/0 Comments/in /by

When Bruce Wayne lost his parents, he succumbed to loneliness- finding his space in solace. So much so, that he couldn’t even retain his only friend, Rachel (we all know Alfred was there for him no matter what). Now, the question is, what did Wayne really gain in these isolated times? He prepared himself, for the worst of situations, learned to face his past and come to terms with it. With every passing day, Batman was in the becoming. So, what is it that makes him stand out among the others? Response. What we see in him is his response to the criminal world: to make it a better place than what it was when the Wayne couple was murdered.

Heard someone recently say,

“You can’t control a situation, but you can control your response to it.”

We’re always stuck in a dilemma, trying to sort and work out predicaments in life that are beyond our reach. Honestly, how is it that we can respond to something that isn’t falling within our discretion?

Acceptance

 In the book of Job, we see Job’s sufferings. He loses his wealth, family, all that he had ever acquired- or rather- was blessed with. But the moment his world starts to crumble, we don’t see him complain. His exacts words are, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?“ (Job 2:10). To be able to experience disorder and still stand firm is not a trivial thing to do. It exhibits courage and resilience. Job even sings praises: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21). So, we don’t just witness Job’s calamities but also his restoration in the due process of responding with acceptance: “The Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10).

Prayer

There is so much to see beyond a circumstance by seeking prayer. Hannah, Jacob, David, Jonah, Moses, I could go on and the list wouldn’t end too soon. Each one of them prayed. That was how they acknowledged their moments of crisis. Praying to question God ‘why’ is equally a response as praising God through prayer and looking forward to what greater things are awaiting.

Hope

 Paul’s trials, as we read in the Scriptures, wasn’t anywhere close to comfortable or untroubled. He makes a comparison of his hardships with the glory to come with God. II Corinthians 4:17 states, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” What he implies by these words is that the miserable times we undergo prepare our character, leading us to be full of hope and not despair. It is this very hope of glory that keeps Paul carrying forward the mission he was appointed for. Our response determines the intensity of our adversities and that’s where our superpower lies.

Victor E. Frank said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Job’s wife suggested him with a response, that is, to “curse God and die,” but he chose a response that demonstrated his deep-rooted faith in God (Job 2:10). That is the growth we need, that’s the superpower we need to use. Let us have a response like that of Job- one full of hope and not just appealing words; one that challenges our faith and also strengthens it. We may not have control over our situations but we do have faith in God.