October gives to us an interesting holiday. We call it Halloween. Have you considered what Halloween teaches our children? We walk our children through the neighborhoods after dark, asking them to ring the doorbells of strangers, and speak to strangers, wearing “scary” costumes and if they do this, they will get free candy. On what other night of the year would a five year old brazen out in the rain and cold and approach complete strangers to ring their doorbells? I remember those years still today. It was scary and fearful, and yet amazingly exciting. Some children require a great reward to handle the fear, others not so much. The question bares asking what is “fear”? And where does it come from? What good purpose does it serve? How are fears acquired? We know it is a learned emotion and is often taught by parents and the people we trust in our lives, like older brothers and sisters and friends.
Fears are based on lies, sometimes a small portion of a fear is a lie, and often the whole of the fear comes from a lie. That’s why learning a truth can set you free, from a lie, and a fear that associates with it.
If we are going to overcome the “fear” stronghold, we have to first identify the power that lies have over us. Its true, we are in a battle for our minds. The truth is that lies will eventually capture and imprison us if we don’t get on the offensive. The truth we know is what sets us free and keeps us free. If the enemy can get you to believe a lie, your life will be affected as though that lie were the truth. But a lie is still a lie!
If you ask most people about how they see themselves, they will boldly proclaim, they seldom experience fear, and when they do its not really a problem for them.
And yet studies of human nature have proven that fear is the dominant emotion that controls man’s actions and decisions. In nearly every decision there is an element of fear, and ultimately the fear of death rides over the top of all of life’s decisions. Can we become prisoners in our own mind, missing out on the life we want and yearn for, but believe we can never have due to hidden fears in our mind?
Do we desire close relationships, but are paralyzed in actions by the fear of rejection? Do we assume we’re destined to fail, so when doing something for the first time plant the seeds of failure in our mind and ultimately in our actions?
Do you have visions of losing weight and you exercise, but feel you will just continue to fail again? You want to truly change, but continue to have thoughts that just won’t happen to you? Why is this? Fears are the foundation of lies.
Fears are nothing more than a state of mind. Did you know that our state of mind is subject to control and direction? Its true because we have been held hostage by lies that restrain us, but never-the-less we believe. Its time we take these lies that make us captive and change the way we believe. Taking lies captive is not easy, because we must understand that lies twist the mind and the neurons connecting in the mind, forming confusing and contradicting pathways of thought.
I once asked a clinical Psychologist the question: “Can a person who habitually lies, ever be straightened out?” His response was they could not, unless you live with them 24/7 correcting their quiet thoughts and all speech statements, continually. The problem is that they no longer can decipher between truth and lie. They no longer remember the words spoken previously in conversation, and therefore will lie again repeatedly. Correction has three steps: 1. Ask probing questions. 2. Identify the lie. 3. Correct the thought and statement given. To all of this the patient must be willing. This is the difficulty.
Remember… we are in a battle, a battle for the mind. When one hears that the truth can really set you free, he must desire to be told the truth, be willing to expose the lies that exist in our mind, and replace lies with truth. He must stop embracing the lie(s) or defending it and reinforcing it in his thoughts. With God’s help, and in my opinion, time spent reading the Holy Bible, eventually Truth will prevail, and change the mind’s thought patterns, and eventually will win the battle for the mind. One must embrace the Truth, whole heartedly.
See You At The Top!
Coach Jack