Lessons Learned from Sickness Part 47: Don’t Be Afraid
By Pastor Ronny Luces
What are your greatest fears? Sickness? Failure? Loneliness? Rejection? Death?
When my doctor told me the true nature of my sickness, one of my struggles was eliminating the feeling of uncertainty that hovers in my consciousness like the proverbial “Sword of Damocles “.
I tried very hard to overcome such feeling hanging in my consciousness.
What’s the problem with fear? Fear will keep you from making a difference.
Why? Because even if you know what the true state of things are or know what the right choice is when you are afraid of what others think or are fearful of something, it grips you, paralyzes you, and keeps you from taking action.
Most of us want to make a difference, but we will fail to do so if we are too scared to make the right turns in life.
There is only One who can deliver us from our fears, and until we focus on Him, we will not be able to make a difference in our lives. That ONE is Jesus Christ.
He must be in your life to have victory over all your fears and live a life that has eternal impact.
With Him by my side, I can face my fears, uncertainties, confusions and doubts. Too often, we experience fear because we focus on ourselves or on what people think instead of focusing on Christ. This hinders us from doing God’s will.
When we live to please Jesus, God rips us free from the bondage of fear to do what He wants us to do.
1 John 4:4 says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
We can overcome any fear through Christ because HE is greater than any problem or fear that we face.
St. Paul said in Philippians 4:13 also says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
It doesn’t just say “some” things, but “all” things. So why should we fear when God gives us the power to do what is necessary now to give our best?
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
When we completely trust in the Lord, that’s when we can overcome our fears.
Posted on FB: Thursday, 9 April 2015 at 3:03 PM
About the Author
Rev. Ronny Luces was the Minister for Administration and Community Service of the Jaro Evangelical Church (JEC), Iloilo City, Philipines. He and his wife, Martha have been with JEC’s ministry since 1994.
Pastor Ronny graduated from Central Philippine University College of Theology in 1985 and was pastor of several Baptist churches.
In January 2015, after tests and two long hospital confinements, Pastor Ronny got the word he had lung cancer. He underwent chemotherapy.
Praying for healing and going through all the medical processes, Pastor Ronny wrote his reflections “Lessons Learned from My Sickness.” In July 2015, he passed away.
May Pastor Ronny’s series of reflections and meditations strengthen your hope and faith as you go through your own life’s battles.
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