Non-personal fears include fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of what "might be," and fear of the future. These may also include fear of being in want, fear of sickness, bodily harm, or death, and a host of other phobias. How do we have soul-rest from these kinds of fears? Only in recognizing by faith that all unknowns are known in the sovereign omniscience of God. All change is His change; God is in all the change. All of the "might be's" are His opportunities. The future belongs to the eternal God who desires that we let Him take care of it, and instead focus on the "now" of God's present tense "I AM," without getting overly preoccupied with prophetic and futuristic concerns. The Psalmist understood, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Ps. 23:1), as was illustrated by God's supernatural supply for Elisha via ravens (1 Kgs. 17:4-6) and the perpetual supply of flour and oil for the widow (1 Kgs. 17:8-16). Even sickness and death cannot separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:35-39). God has everything under control, so when we are in spirit-union with Him, we can "take things in stride," resting in His love and sufficiency.

Then there are those interpersonal fears: fear of disapproval, rejection, loneliness, separation, and broken relationships. Fear of offending someone. Fear of what others think. Fear of our enemies. Fear of what will happen to our children or grandchildren. Soul-rest in the midst of these kinds of fears comes from understanding that we 'seek not the approval of men, but of God' (Jn. 12:43), who has approved (1 Thess. 2:4), and accepted us (Rom. 15:7; Eph. 1:6-KJV). If God has accepted us, we are accepted by the only One who counts! He is not going to reject us, desert us, or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). In spirit-union with the Trinity, we are never alone - for we are brought into the relation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As the Psalmist wrote, "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me" (Ps. 23:4, KJV). Jesus promised, "I am with you always" (Matt. 28:20). The solution to loneliness is not "get busy; get involved," but to recognize the union relationship we have with God and His people. Those who fear offending someone often need to understand that the problem is usually with people "taking offense," rather than our "giving offense," and Jesus was not at all concerned about the Pharisees' "taking offense" at what He did. Our desire is to 'please God, rather than man' (Gal. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:4). It doesn't matter what others think of you or your opinions. You are free to be uniquely you, with your own thoughts and your ownopinions. We must not allow the opinions of others to control us. Fears of what will happen to our loved ones are relieved when we recognize that... Read Full Article