February 2, 2025 - How to Overcome Fear from Shaping Our Lives - Pastor Paul Vallee

There are many reasons why people disobey God, but one of them is fear. It could be that a person is afraid to fail, or what others will think, or possibly the negative things that might happen if we fully trust God. Fear is a powerful motivator that moves us to action. While we all have an instinctual desire to protect our lives, fear can also be a paralyzing element that keeps us from experiencing God’s purposes for our lives. While most people walk by what they see, know, and understand, the Scriptures teach us that we are to walk by faith in what God is asking us to do despite possible fears that would hinder us from moving forward. When we overcome our fears, we can face the giants in our lives and prevail, like David did over Goliath. Interestingly, Joshua, Moses’ successor, struggled with the issue of fear when leading the people of God into the promised land. In Joshua 1, God spoke to Joshua that He would be with him even as God had been with Moses. God’s challenge was simple. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.                        But what happens when we give in to fear? Once again, we find in the book of Jeremiah God’s message for the people to follow a course of action which they were afraid to take. What will they do? How will they respond? The more pressing question is what will we do and how will we respond to the fears that keep us from fulfilling God’s will and purposes for our lives? There are some things we need to do to overcome letting fear shape our lives.