Christ offers freedom from all fears

On Sept. 13, I flew from Seattle to Dallas with a layover in Minn-eapolis.

While waiting to board, I sat by a lady and politely asked, "How are you?"

Anticipating the usual, "I am fine" response, I was rather taken back by her answer.

"I am terrible," she replied with tears surfacing her eyes. "Today is Friday the 13th and I am assigned to sit in row 13 on this plane."

I could see her fear, but never being a superstitious person, I couldn't really relate to her. However, I answered her with the first words of encouragement that came to my mind.

"Well, you be blessed. Isn't it wonderful that Jesus has set us free from fears such as these, and we don't have to worry?"

She began to smile and I could see relief on her face.

"Oh, thank you," she replied.

Later I offered to trade seats with her and she declined, saying, "No thank you, I choose to be blessed."

What a terrible bondage one can allow one's self to enter into by listening to and living by fears and superstitions.

We have all heard them, a black cat crossing your path, walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror and many others that put people in an awful state of fear for their entire lives.

How sad it is to choose this way of existence, when we have been offered a life of freedom.

Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth and the life."

In John 8:36 he tells us, "If the son of man has set you free, you are free indeed."

Free from what? Free from certain fears? No, free indeed -- from all fear.

"God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind," states 2 Timothy 1:7.

Fear will make us weak. Webster's Dictionary describes fear as suggesting weakness or cowardice. Fear will interfere with our walk of faith. We cannot walk in faith and fear at the same time.

Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy."

By causing you to fear, he will destroy your faith, he will make you weak, destroy your power and steal your peace of mind, thus interfering with your God-given sound mind. But, that isn't the end of this scripture.

Jesus went on to say, "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."

A life free from fears, a life full of power, a spirit of love and a sound mind.

We hear so much teaching lately about making choices. This a situation where we must choose. We can choose to listen to and dwell on and believe in the lies that the enemy has tried to enslave people with from generation to generation, or we can choose to accept this abundant life and live in peace and discipline ourselves to dwell on the things we read about in Philippians 4:8 -- things that are pure, things that are true, things that are honest, things that are of good report.

Then we can expect the peace of God to keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Pat Knowles attends the Birch Ridge Community Church, which meets in the Soldotna Senior Center where Cameron Dockery is pastor. Our services are Sunday morning beginning at 9:45 a.m. All are welcome.