Fear Grows When We Refuse to Do What God Wants Us to Do

Current Teaching Series Unshakable: Thriving No Matter What Hits You

Fear Grows When We Refuse to Do What God Wants Us to Do By Rick Warren — Nov 2, 2017 “Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness” (Acts 4:29 GNT). We all have fears. Too often, though, we’ve let them rule over our lives and stop us from taking a stand for what we know God wants us to do. Like Daniel standing in the lion’s den, we face people and situations that threaten to destroy us — and our witness for Christ. But the choice is ours. Will we succumb to our fears or will we stand up for God in spite of those fears? If you want to overcome fear that’s dragging you down, you need to clearly understand the benefits of choosing to stand up for what God wants. Most importantly, you need to see that doing what God wants you to do is a clear victory over the fear in your life. Because fear grows. Every time you give in to a fear, it becomes more intense. Fear grows every time you refuse to do what God wants you to do. Eventually, you’ll feel cornered. And when fear grows, your life shrinks. So what do you do? Follow the lead of early Christians. We’re certainly not the first generation of Christians to face fear. Early believers faced all kinds of persecution. The book of Acts shows us a bit about how they stood up to this fear. As Peter and John proclaimed Jesus boldly in Acts 4, they came up against fierce opposition. So they prayed, “Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness” (Acts 4:29 GNT). The answer to your fear isn’t to give in to it. It’s to move forward boldly despite it. You stand up to the fear. Fear doesn’t respond to logic, so your only chance to get rid of the fear is to trust God and face the fear. Never, ever forget this. God won’t part the Jordan River in front of you until you take your first step (see how God did this for Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:8). You take a step of faith and then God shows you the path. That won’t happen if you stand wrapped up in your fear. Take a step in faith today and watch fear crumble in the process as God guides your steps. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over How have you seen fear grow in your life because you gave in to it? How have you seen fear diminish in your life because you stepped out boldly for God? What fears do you find the most difficult to overcome in your everyday life? Why? How can you give those to God?

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Series Summary Session 1: When Your World is Shaken Up Session 2: When You're Pressured to Conform Session 3: When Your Beliefs are Belittled Session 4: When You're Asked to Do the Impossible Session 5: When the Heat is On Session 6: When God Tests You with Success Session 7: Are You Learning from Those Who Came Before You? Session 8: Will You Stand Strong for God Publicly? Session 9: The Kind of Prayer God Answers PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe