Daily Portion: Faith vs. Fear

In continuation from the previous post titled Vision vs. Fear, and talking about how fear deters us from our vision, I thought it fitting to write a blog about Faith vs. Fear, since in reality, faith is the only thing that can and will get rid of fear and doubt!  Whether we believe it or not, fear comes up to disturb us and try to take our focus away from what we are called to do, destined to do, our purpose in life. When we come to realize that that fear can be tackled by using faith, we have come to know and live in an untapped power, only given through Christ! Faith is the weapon to use against fear, at ALL times!

Dictionary.com defines fear as a distressing emotion caused by impending danger, evil, pain - whether the threat is real or imagined. Danger, evil, pain.... only Christ can and has overcome those!

Dictionary.com defines faith as belief that is not based on proof. 
Interesting how fear is an emotion caused by threat even if it's imagined, and the complete opposite is believing something even when you don't have proof! Knowing this should be enough to get us to STOP concentrating on the fear and letting fear run our lives and emotions, and just trusting and relying on our faith (in God, in Christ, in how He has overcome, in ourselves, in our vision, in what He has promised, in what's to come.........)  I will not fear!

Here are some Scriptures that talk about fear and faith, and when those times arise when we feel less than competent to tackle our purpose, our calling, what we are here to do, let's look back on these Scriptures and let's see what GOD is telling us we CAN do! 


What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. Psalm 56:3

Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1

Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom! -Luke 12:32  

I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.  - Psalm 34:4

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. - Isaiah 41:10  


There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].   -1 John 4:18


Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. -Exodus 14:13


He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.  -Matthew 17:20

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.  -Romans 4:20-21

Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. -Romans 5:1-2

Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God. -1 Peter 1:21

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. -John 14:12

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. -2 Timothy 1:7

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].  For by [faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report. -Hebrews 11:1-2

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Marianne Williamson

It is my prayer that this reflection be a part of your daily portion.

Love & Blessings,
Michelle

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Daily Portion: Vision vs. Fear

This was a motivational call I did for a fellow Director in our Company and I wrote a blog about it, and wanted to share it with my Daily Portion followers, as this will have a Part 2 entitled Faith vs. Fear. This is not only for business teams, but it can be used for any Leadership type role you are assuming whether it be in church, work or any organization, any team you are building or working with can benefit from what I am sharing here.

Let's talk about vision. What is your vision? Set your vision, write it and believe it. According to Andy Stanley, author of Visioneering, a vision is a clear image of what could be that is nurtured by knowing that's how it should be.  To me, a vision is more than a goal. A vision is what you see your future should be. A goal (long or short term) is a stepping stone or marker that allows you to see that you are heading straight for the vision you have set for yourself.

As Stanley explains in his book, your vision tells you "I could be this....  Maybe I could do this...." And that vision lets you know that that's how it should be! Vision is a preferred future. It's a point in destiny; your preferred future. Your vision requires change because it presents itself in contrast to a present you are living now - as is. A vision becomes reality when we take risks. It requires visionary people who, with heart, soul and passion, can see past what is in front (present) of them and to move past that and act upon the idea, the vision, that has been placed in their heart with much value.

When we talk about vision, that image, that preferred future, that point and place that you know it's where you want to be, that vision does not encompass only one area, it encompasses your entire life, future, and family.  If you set a vision for your business, when you set it and see your preferred future, you see yourself, your family and those around you and those you can help and bless. That's why a vision has to do with passion and value. Because when you can see yourself in a preferred future, better than your present condition, you must know that it will not only affect you, but all those around you, and for the better!

Wikipedia defines fear as an emotion induced by a perceived threat which causes entities to pull far away from it and hide. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines fear to be afraid and to expect worry about something bad or unpleasant. Dictionary.com defines fear as a distressing emotion caused by impending danger, evil, pain - whether the threat is real or imagined. When we talk about fear in our business, the fear that the majority of us face is the "imagined" kind, since I doubt we will have any impending real danger of dying or getting sick because of our vision or setting a goal. The fear that usually comes to deter us from achieving our vision is the imagined fear, the False Evidence Appearing Real type.  It's the fear of failure, not doing my best, what will others think or say. And we come up with so many excuses to not act because of those fears. We "want" to sell, recruit, book parties, coach, train; but we find ourselves having to leave our comfort zone in order to achieve success in those areas. That's where the fear comes in, a distressing emotion of impending pain, the thing is that when it's imagined, it usually tends to be worse than it really is.

As Joyce Meyer puts it, take the focus off of performance - of being judged and criticized by others -that can paralyze us.  Fear stops our own progress. If we make a mistake, we get up and try again. We are all human! We need to just stop focusing on how others will react, how we will perform, if we will be judged, if they say no.... we need to get that fear of failure out of our heads and just tackle those fears in order to conquer that vision, that preferred future!

Andy Stanley gives a few questions we should ask ourselves in order to see what those fears are exactly, to be able to tackle them. If we answer these questions honestly, we should be able to conquer those fears and begin to conquer our vision!
1. What are the things that are currently distracting you from your vision?
2.  What plan of action will you take, what will you do about it?
3.  Within your vision, what is your biggest fear?  What is the worst that could happen?
4.  If that worst happens, what would be the consequences?

If we answer these questions truthfully, then we will realize that we are prepared to handle the worst of the consequences. That should allow us to focus on our vision, knowing that if the worst were to happen, we know how to handle it and move on from it.
We must remember that the majority of times, the fear is in our heads and it isn't as bad as the worst scenario we could ever paint. Know that saying, you are your own worst enemy? Yes, and it's the fear in all of us that becomes that enemy. But when WE know what fear doesn't want us to know, that it's False Evidence Appearing Real, the battle is already won!

Speak your vision and expectations to those around you, to your team members. Let your team members know what their strengths and potential are and how they can use them to better enhance the quality of the team, therefore achieving the expectations that are set before them. Seek out the natural gifting/capability each team member has and let them be made aware of them, praise them for their future successes with those skills and strengths, let them know that they each hold an important place in your team and that they can achieve the expectations 100%.

I put this into work with my own team and I have discovered that when you give your team expectations, they know what they are striving for. I have seen results. I have written and declared my vision for my team for this specific month. And as a team, we all ran with it. Some successes were higher than others, but overall, the team ran with the vision, accepted the declaration and worked hard to achieve the expectation.
Continue to write your vision, set it clear and declare it.
It will come, I promise!

“Write the vision;  make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay..."  - Habakkuk 2:2-3

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Marianne Williamson

It is my prayer that this reflection be a part of your daily portion.

Love & Blessings,
Michelle

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Success Is Yours!

A Daily Portion

 


Continuing with the topic of Success, I want to share some Scriptures with you that talk about success. The one thing I want to stress is that it IS God's will for us to succeed, be blessed and have favor! This is something we need to be reminded of daily. Faith, not fear, will get us there and we need to know that God is on our side, He will bless and favor us, we are His children, and He wants only the best for us! As we continue to trust Him, trust His Word and follow His instructions, success will begin to bloom in our lives, in everything we touch, because that has been His plan and purpose all along!  And that is so amazing!!!

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. -Joshua 1:8-9

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His [spiritual] offspring shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Prosperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.   -Psalms 112:1-3

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.  May the Lord grant all your requests.

-Psalms 20:4-5

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.   -Proverbs 16:3

Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.   - 1 Chronicles 22:13

Remember that fear and discouragement are success and faith's enemy!  Lift up your head and Conquer! 

It is my prayer that this reflection be a part of your daily portion.

Love & Blessings,
Michelle

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Portion of Success

A Daily Portion




I was meditating this morning on some doors that God is opening in my life. As I meditated and gave thanks, along with gratefulness and awe at what God will be doing within the next few weeks, I suddenly felt some fear creep up in my spirit! I thought to myself, why am I like this? Why is it that every time I see God's hand in my life and ministry, fear creeps up and tries to steal what He is doing? Well, the answer is obvious and I don't want to dwell on fear and how the devil uses it to distract us and to try to destroy our purpose.  I began to look at Scriptures, feeling led to write about what I was feeling today. I came across Joshua 1:5-9. In this passage, Joshua is about to take Moses' place in leadership. God calls Joshua and tells him to go up over Jordan to the land He has promised them. After forty years in the desert, watching their leader die, I'm sure Joshua was overwhelmed with feelings and I know for a fact that fear was creeping up on him! How are we to have success in our daily life, when fear is constantly reminding us of so many things? Fear tells us we can't, we won't, who are we to try, what makes us think we will this time around, ... so many voices - fear telling us to just give up!  It happened to Joshua too! Read this carefully:

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  -Joshua 1:5-9

Not only did God tell Joshua what to do, he told him how to do it!  He gave him the "secret to success"! The secret of success is given in verses 5 through 9. GOD says "I will not fail you or forsake you". Joshua accepted Moses’ place of leadership without a single doubt! God’s will for him was his will, and he did not hesitate to do what He was asking. To go “all out” for God was already habitual with him; there was no doubting or second guessing...  and that is the unfailing prerequisite of eternal success! When fear and doubt come into the picture, there is no way we can succeed, not because God fails His promises, but because we are too busy seeing the fear and doubt, that we in turn forget that God's will for us should be our will, His purpose, our purpose and that there IS NO failing with God, for HE will not fail nor forsake us!  Yes, it's that easy!  That's the secret to success; to eternal success!

If we meditate on God's Word, His plans, purpose for us, plans to prosper us and not harm us, as Jeremiah 29:11 says, then that's the fail-proof way! There's no way to fail! He tells Joshua, and He tells us too, if we meditate and do according to all that's written, then we will make our ways prosperous; then we will have good success!  Because He is with us! He tells Joshua (and us) to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid because He is with us wherever we go!  Just reading that Scripture, reading those Words, hearing my Father tell me over and over again that He will never fail me, that He goes with me wherever I go, that is something I am uprooting deep into my heart and spirit. It is something I need to know, understand, believe, and live! It is of utmost importance to me, as I live my life and go about my daily routine, to know this; because then I know that success is mine and that I will prosper wherever I go and in all I do!

If fear and doubt have been getting the better of you, then I encourage you to read this Scripture over and over until it is in you, until you are walking in it and everything you do is based on this eternal success!  I declare all thoughts of fear and doubt gone in Jesus' name; and I speak success and prosperity over all you do! He will not forsake you; He will not fail you, grab hold of His plan for success in your life! Meditate on His Word, speak and do according to what His Word says,  and watch prosperity and favor follow you wherever you go! Now that makes me shout for joy!  HALLELUJAH!!!!

It is my prayer that this reflection be a part of your daily portion.

Love & Blessings,
Michelle

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