No room for fear or anger

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"No room for fear or anger" By Diane Webb

Ephesians 4: 27—"Neither give place to the devil".

Do not make room for the devil in your life. Do not allow Satan space in your mind or your life. Pay attention to what you allow yourself to think about or dwell on. Are you giving Satan power by dwelling on fear-based thoughts? What about anger and resentment? Fear and anger are just two ways we give room for Satan to live and grow. Thinking about fears and worries—especially worries—leads to bigger fears and bigger worries. As you sit there and imagine "what-if" scenarios, it opens the door for even more "what-if" thoughts. Before you know it, you are so anxious you feel it physically. What good does it serve to imagine and re-imagine fearful things that have not even happened? What we dwell on mentally will show up physically. Sometimes we cause the very thing we fear because of the fear itself. Fear attracts what we are afraid of. For example, let's say a woman has a fear of being robbed in a parking lot. As she thinks of this fear she clutches her bag and begins to take on a fearful appearance. Meanwhile, a robber is scanning the parking lot looking for a potential victim. He sees one woman walking confidently along looking strong and independent. Then he sees the fearful one—she is looking very weak and fragile. Which one do you think he will go for? Another example is a parent constantly telling a child to be careful. The child develops a fearful persona because now he knows there are so many terrible dangers to encounter. As he walks down the steps he stumbles and falls. The anxiety had increased levels of a certain chemical in his brain which interferes with his coordination. Another man is afraid of dying. He is afraid of being killed in his home. He has several bolt locks installed on each door. He puts bars on his windows. His house catches on fire and he cannot get out. He is dies in his home where he tried to feel safe and protected from the outside world. The insurance industry is prosperous because it plays on fears. An insurance sales pitch is a series of "what if" questions which leads to you purchasing excessive insurance. Worse than thinking fearful thoughts is voicing them. One we begin to verbalize fears, worries, and doubts it's like pouring fertilizer on them. We have given them space to occupy. Fear cripples, hinders, and blocks the work of God. Giving space to fear and worry is making room for the devil. Taking it one step further, fear and worry leads to fear-based rituals—like checking and rechecking. Then, time is being taken up on useless behaviors which are supposed to reduce fear but really only increase it. It's another trick of Satan to make you believe if you do certain things (like wash your hands over and over again) that you will be safe. It's a strategy designed to eat up your time so you don't have time to do what God wants you to do. Anger and resentment are just as bad if not worse than fear and worry. People can spend years not speaking to someone out of anger and resentment never realizing God meant for them to be witnessing to this person. How hard is it to be Christian towards people we like or those who have never offended us? The real challenge—and test—is how we treat those who have hurt or offended us in some way. Resentment and anger allows room for Satan. It is not a productive activity. Anger does not lead to Godly behavior. It, too, affects your health.

Dear heavenly Father, I pray today that I will not allow room for Satan in my mind or my life. Please block any thought, Lord that opens the door for the devil to occupy and grow. Help me, Lord, to fear nothing except you. Help me release any anger or resentment that's blocking my spiritual growth. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.