“When he [the devil] lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”- Luke 8:44
Today in Chapter 6 of Simplify, Bill Hybels covers the first two steps that help us partner with God to conquer fear.
STEP 1: Understanding Fear’s Origin. In order to conquer a fear, we first must understand where that fear originates. Dr. Joseph Wolpe, a twentieth-century South African psychiatrist, discovered a single traumatic childhood event tormented many people their entire life. Although a casual observer may not view that traumatic event as all that terrifying, it was scary enough to that person to start knocking over dominoes, causing him/her to erect walls of avoidance.
STEP 2: Expose Fear’s Lies. Pastor Hybels emphasizes that deception is evil’s primary strategy for bringing about our defeat and destruction. When destructive fear strikes, we manufacture worst-case scenarios. The technical term for this is catastrophizing. The author explains:
“The evil one loves to help you spin your worst-case scenarios, because they consume, distract, and derail you. When fear has you in a stranglehold, it’s easy to take your eyes off of (sic) God’s power and provision.
Pastor Hybels cautions that if we decide to keep silent about the catastrophic lies spinning in our head, we invite a whole new list of troubles our way. As Bill has stated previously, the truth is our friend.
Today’s question: What Bible verses have helped you overcome any tendency toward catastrophizing? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Face fear head- on”
