1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:04,410 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,900 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We are so glad to 3 00:00:14,940 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 2: have you listening with us here today. Today's topic is 4 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 2: how fear is a thief. We will return after a 5 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:39,030 Speaker 2: brief message from our sponsor. How Fear Robs You, written 6 00:00:39,390 --> 00:00:44,710 Speaker 2: by Aaron D. Anthony Brown, read by Rochelle Alberti. Bible 7 00:00:44,770 --> 00:00:50,269 Speaker 2: Reading Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer 8 00:00:50,310 --> 00:00:54,650 Speaker 2: and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and 9 00:00:54,690 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 2: the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard 10 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,250 Speaker 2: your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4, 6-7, 11 00:01:02,260 --> 00:01:09,490 Speaker 2: CSB Can you relate to worrying about something that you 12 00:01:09,550 --> 00:01:13,130 Speaker 2: had no business worrying about in the first place? You 13 00:01:13,190 --> 00:01:16,580 Speaker 2: knew everything would work out. Perhaps the stakes were low, 14 00:01:17,100 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: or maybe you were prepared for whatever happened. Still, nervousness 15 00:01:21,940 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: ate at you. Anxiety grew. We hear that word so 16 00:01:27,020 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 2: much these days. Anxiety. And it's such an innate part 17 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,390 Speaker 2: of the human experience. Some struggle more than others. but 18 00:01:36,430 --> 00:01:38,929 Speaker 2: we all have those pressure points that cause us to 19 00:01:39,030 --> 00:01:42,750 Speaker 2: fret every now and again. What will the future bring? 20 00:01:43,470 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 2: Or what won't it bring? The word anxiety didn't come 21 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,860 Speaker 2: about until the 16th century, but the concept isn't new. 22 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,900 Speaker 2: God's word talks about human fear time and time again, 23 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:01,500 Speaker 2: from Adam and Eve to Peter denying Jesus. Fear of 24 00:02:01,540 --> 00:02:05,020 Speaker 2: the future leads us to make silly and even reckless choices. 25 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,570 Speaker 2: So while we have fear in common, what we also 26 00:02:08,630 --> 00:02:11,210 Speaker 2: have in common is what fear takes away from us. 27 00:02:12,110 --> 00:02:15,010 Speaker 2: This is especially true when we sit with our worries 28 00:02:15,130 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 2: for a prolonged period of time. If you've been living 29 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,580 Speaker 2: like that, take hope. You're not the first to struggle 30 00:02:22,660 --> 00:02:27,139 Speaker 2: with rational or irrational fears. You won't be the last. 31 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 2: But each of us can find encouragement in the same place. 32 00:02:31,990 --> 00:02:38,370 Speaker 2: Our Father in Heaven intersecting faith and life. Let's go 33 00:02:38,470 --> 00:02:40,950 Speaker 2: over a few things fear robs from each of us 34 00:02:41,030 --> 00:02:44,269 Speaker 2: when we submit to it and what we can do instead. 35 00:02:45,950 --> 00:02:50,820 Speaker 2: Fear robs you of faith. The most obvious thing fear 36 00:02:50,900 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: takes from us is faith, our ability to believe in 37 00:02:54,460 --> 00:02:58,140 Speaker 2: and trust God. When fear is talking, more than likely, 38 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: our ears are not attuned to what God has to say. 39 00:03:02,780 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: Instead of thinking fear is telling the truth, consider whether 40 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:13,100 Speaker 2: truth resides instead with God. Hint, it does. However hard 41 00:03:13,139 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 2: it may be, keep a record of all the times 42 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,250 Speaker 2: your anxiety turned out to be true versus God's word. 43 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:28,710 Speaker 2: Fear robs you of gratitude. Anxiety always causes us to overanalyze, overestimate, 44 00:03:29,490 --> 00:03:34,559 Speaker 2: and underappreciate. Rather than thinking about all the things that 45 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,589 Speaker 2: could go wrong, ask yourself what could go right. When 46 00:03:38,630 --> 00:03:41,830 Speaker 2: you weigh what could go wrong versus right, which seems 47 00:03:41,910 --> 00:03:48,190 Speaker 2: more likely? Fear robs you of connection. By its very nature, 48 00:03:48,570 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 2: anxiety consists of thinking negatively. That often means we think 49 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,580 Speaker 2: negatively of other people, however justified we may feel. The 50 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:04,090 Speaker 2: issue is that oftentimes, anxiety... is inaccurate. And as a result, 51 00:04:04,430 --> 00:04:07,710 Speaker 2: we've given in to an inaccurate view of the other person. 52 00:04:08,790 --> 00:04:13,010 Speaker 2: Don't dwell on their faults. Remember, they too are made 53 00:04:13,090 --> 00:04:19,450 Speaker 2: in the image of God. Fear robs your peace. As mentioned, 54 00:04:19,950 --> 00:04:23,990 Speaker 2: fear leads to negative thinking. You can't be at peace 55 00:04:24,050 --> 00:04:26,969 Speaker 2: while your mind is riddled with fear. You have to 56 00:04:27,029 --> 00:04:30,250 Speaker 2: pick one and walk in that direction and doing all 57 00:04:30,310 --> 00:04:35,030 Speaker 2: that you can to find it. Fear robs your time. 58 00:04:36,210 --> 00:04:39,180 Speaker 2: How many times have you sat in one spot incessantly, 59 00:04:39,620 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: thinking about an issue, going over the ins and outs? 60 00:04:43,860 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 2: How many times have you rehashed the same conversations over 61 00:04:47,490 --> 00:04:51,130 Speaker 2: and over again with the same friend? There's a better 62 00:04:51,170 --> 00:04:56,510 Speaker 2: way to be. Focusing on our issues often exacerbates the problem. 63 00:04:57,410 --> 00:05:00,420 Speaker 2: But more to the point, Instead of dwelling on fear, 64 00:05:01,180 --> 00:05:05,060 Speaker 2: we ought to keep moving, doing positive things to focus 65 00:05:05,220 --> 00:05:09,260 Speaker 2: on more positive thinking. Taking time to reflect and talk 66 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,990 Speaker 2: things out is important, but moderate yourself. Don't give in 67 00:05:14,110 --> 00:05:17,650 Speaker 2: to the urge to indulge. You won't feel better, and 68 00:05:17,690 --> 00:05:20,750 Speaker 2: the problem will just be more cemented in your thinking. 69 00:05:22,050 --> 00:05:27,330 Speaker 2: Fear robs you of joy. Not only is peace impossible 70 00:05:27,370 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 2: when you live life according to your fears, there's also 71 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 2: no way to be happy. Your mind is thinking about 72 00:05:33,860 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 2: all that is going wrong or could go wrong instead 73 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 2: of the myriad of blessings we experience every day. And 74 00:05:41,020 --> 00:05:45,060 Speaker 2: we do experience them daily. You just have to get 75 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,659 Speaker 2: specific and keep reminding yourself of them day by day. 76 00:05:49,620 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 2: Anxiety is natural for the human condition, but finding joy 77 00:05:54,020 --> 00:05:59,270 Speaker 2: in God is better for the human condition. Further reading, 78 00:05:59,270 --> 00:06:08,270 Speaker 2: 1 Peter 5, 7, Matthew 6, 34, Proverbs 3, 5, 79 00:06:08,270 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 2: and 6. 80 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 81 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 3: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 82 00:06:18,420 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 3: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 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