In this series, we’ve talked about what we need to quit if we’re going to experience God’s best for us. Today, we’re going to think about how fear can prevent us from surrendering fully to God’s plan for our lives and experiencing God’s best for us. And we’re going to look at the gift God has given us to overcome our fears.
Perhaps you’ve picked up on the fact that if I am to surrender to God’s plan for my life, it will lead to me living life as Jesus did. Certainly, we will never be like Jesus in terms of deity, but we can be like Christ when it comes to character. So we have much to learn from the example of Jesus when it comes to surrendering to God’s plan for us.
One thing we notice about Jesus is that He was fearless in His pursuit of the Father’s plan for His life. Luke says, for example, that when it came time for Jesus to go to Jerusalem to fulfill the Father’s plan to face the cross for you and me, that “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 NIV). Jesus was fearless in His surrender to the Father’s plan for His life.
One of the greatest obstacles to surrendering to God’s plan for our lives and living with fearless abandon for the Father like Jesus did, is fear. Now, we’re talking about living with fearless abandon, not foolish abandon.
No, living without fear doesn’t mean being foolish. What we’re talking about today is living without fear so we might be faithful, like Jesus was. And did Jesus live as He did? By the power of the Holy Spirit. In Luke 4:1, Jesus is described as being “full of the Holy Spirit.” If Jesus relied on the power of the Spirit, how much more should we?
If you do a search online for a list of man’s top fears, you’ll find things such as fear of flying, fear of heights, fear of public speaking, fear of strangers, fear of snakes, fear of spiders, etc. But these can each fit into one of three categories of fear that prevent us to surrendering to God. Paul addresses each of these as he tells us about the nature of the Spirit we have received when we placed our faith in Christ as Our Savior.
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Surrender to God’s plan for us begins with trusting Christ as Savior.
“(God) wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:4 (NIV)
When we trust Christ as our Savior, God gives His Holy Spirit to us.
“And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit . . .” - Ephesians 1:13b (NLT)
Paul says if God’s Spirit, who resides in us, is allowed to presides over us, He will enable us to move past those fears that keep us from fully surrendering to God’s plan for our lives. Because . . .
1. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power.
The Holy Spirit can enable us to overcome our fear of loss. And there are two types of loss we might be afraid of when it comes to fully surrendering to God’s plan for us.
A. Loss resulting from the call to fully surrender to God.
The fact is, if we surrender to God’s plan for us it will mean the loss of certain things, as we will be called to sacrifice in order to follow Christ. The Christian life is to give in order to receive, to humble oneself in order to be exalted, to die to self in order to live for God.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” - Luke 9:23 (NIV)
“But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ.” - Philippians 3:7-8 (CSB)
But we always receive far more than we give up when we follow Jesus; because the temporal can never compare in value with the eternal. When I follow Jesus and surrender to God’s plan for me, my life takes on eternal significance and eternal value.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” - Jim Elliott
B. Loss resulting from the consequence of full surrender to God.
When we surrender to Christ, the world will reject us; and often, we will suffer loss. Because Jesus surrendered to the Father’s plan for His life, He suffered loss at the hands of the world, too. In fact, He suffered the greatest loss a human being can face - loss of life. But He had confidence in God’s power, which enabled Him to face man’s greatest loss - the loss of one’s life - without fear.
“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” - Hebrews 12:2b
“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” - Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)
Like Jesus, we can rest assured that the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead will provide us with victory over the fear of loss, as we recognize that whatever we gain in Christ far surpasses anything we might lose in this world.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
2. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of love.
The Holy Spirit can enable us to overcome our fear of man. One work of the Spirit is to make us personally aware of God’s love for us.
“For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” - Romans 5:5b (NLT)
Knowing that God loves me and will never abandon me, can enable me to live my life with abandon for Him, and not concern myself with what others have to say. For I am living only to please the One who loves me without condition and without question.
“If you please God, it does not matter whom you displease. And if you displease Him, it does not matter whom you please.” - Steven J. Lawson
And life is so much easier when we live to please God only. When you are trying to please everyone else, you have so many standards to live up to, and often, when you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody. It’s much simpler to live to please One person - God. And when you do seek to please God alone, you will please many other people than you would otherwise, because you will be the person, spouse, parent, child, worker, employer, and neighbor you ought to be.
3. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of self-discipline.
The Holy Spirit can enable us to overcome our fear of failure. The Spirit does this through use of the Word of God.
The same word that is inspired by the Holy Spirit, is illuminated by the Holy Spirit, so that we might learn the discipline necessary to over come our fear of failure. Because in God’s economy, no failure is final and ultimate victory is assured.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” - 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
The End Of The Road Is But A Bend In The Road
When we feel we have nothing left to give, And we are sure that the song has ended; When our day seems over and the shadows fall, And the darkness of night has descended; Where do we go to find strength to keep on trying; Where can we find a hand to dry the tears we’re crying; There’s but one place to go, and that is to God, And dropping all pretense and pride, We can pour out our problems without restraint, And gain strength with Him at our side; And together we stand at life’s crossroads, And view what we think is the end; But God has a much bigger vision And he tells us it’s only a bend; For the road goes on and is smoother, And the pause in the song is a rest; And the part that’s unsung and unfinished, Is the sweetest and richest and best; So rest and relax and grow stronger, Let go and let God share your load; Your work is not finished or ended, You’ve just come to a “bend in the road.”
Conclusion: How do I let the Spirit of power, love and self-discipline enable me to overcome my fear of loss, fear of man, and fear of failure, that can keep me from fully surrendering to Gods’ plan for my life?
“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5 (NKJV) Daily:
Ask the Spirit to fill your life (Ephesians 5:18)
Be willing to confess all sin (1 John 1:9)
Investigate the Scriptures (Ephesians 6:17)
Do what the Spirit tells you (Galatians 5:25)
Enjoy the victory that is yours (Philippians 4:13)
To be faithless is to be fear full; but to be faith full is to be fearless!
