Faith over Fear

“Green light – GO!!” I’ll never forget those words. On a Fall day in 1998, at Fort Benning, GA, an U.S. Army Airborne Jumpmaster screamed those words in my ear. Here I was, 800 feet above ground level, standing in the doorway of a “perfectly fine” C-130 Hercules airplane, and expected to jump out on command.

To say I was afraid was a huge understatement. I was scared out of my mind, but I couldn’t risk being removed from the Airborne program or worse yet, being put out of the U.S. Army. So I jumped, and 92 jumps later….the rest is history.

Exercising faith is essential in the life of a believer. We must learn to mute our fears. A part of exercising faith is taking control over our fears. In order to accomplish something we’ve never done or see something we’ve never seen, our faith must be activated.

Fear does NOT come from God. Paul tells young Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has NOT given us the spirit of fear, but power, love and a sound mind.” The elements of faith are power, love and a sane, clear mind.

These elements of faith (power, love and a sound mind) are already in us. But we must move by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). When we can’t see how things are going to work out, walk by faith. When we hear NO more than hearing YES – walk by faith. When our rivers seem un-crossable and our mountains seem un-climbable and our challenges seem insurmountable – walk by faith.

Finally, do this exercise and let it go viral in Monticello. Hold up your left hand. Starting with your left thumb, say these five words – “I CAN DO ALL THINGS.” You will fail with your left hand alone. But hold up your right hand, and starting with your right pinky, say these five words – “THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME.” Now you possess the faith to succeed (Philippians 4:13).