CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The 6 ^th round begins as the two heavyweight boxers dance around each other in the ring, bobbing and jabbing hoping to land a punch.

With the first successful punch the commentator shouts with excitement, “And there it is! The challenger lands a jab to the face!  Oh! What a response! The champion scores with a right hook!  Look at that upper cut! Boy is he fast!  The champion is getting tired. Oh! The challenger is moving in to take advantage of his fatigue. There it goes! The challenger lands another right hook! But wait! The champion bounces back and hits him with a right cross! The challenger counters with a left hook, but he misses and leaves himself open!”

BAM! BAM! BAM! The challenger looks dazed, his knees are buckling and he is DOWN! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10!  The victory goes once again to our current heavyweight champion!”

You may not watch boxing matches on TV but we each frequently participate in our own boxing match.

It is not a physical match, but a mental one. 

The opponents for the match are Fear vs. Faith!

With all the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, the violence, the tragedies & the country’s disunity, fear will take every opportunity to jab at us hoping to land a punch.

Fear challenges our faith punching us with doubt.

It jabs us with fear of failure,

 disease, poverty, rejection,

and a host of other fears as it tries to knock us down.

It even jabs us with a fear of death.

When we are tired from all the calamity, fear will take the opportunity to take another punch.

Sometimes fear connects with a good right hook. Fear may win a few rounds, but it does not have to win the match.  When fear challenges us, we can be victorious.  Like the boxers during the fight recall the wisdom and powerful punches they have been taught, we too can prepare ourselves by learning & recalling the wisdom and powerful punches of God.

When fear challenges you, BAM! 

Punch fear back with God’s Word;

• BAM! 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

• BAM! 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 

• BAM! Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

• BAM! Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible.

Although fear may land a jab or two and even win some rounds,

with God on our side, fear can’t win the fight if we don’t let it.

Let’s all fight fear with the wisdom and powerful punches of God so that we can be victorious! BAM!

MY FAITH VS. FEAR

When I wrote this, I was thinking about all that we currently face. It seems tragedies abound as we listen to or read news. Hearing these things, my heart is sad.  I cry for those struggling to be heard and I pray for wisdom for those seeking to find peace and justice.  When I originally wrote this analogy, we were mainly battling the coronavirus.  Now, our battle is greater.

I find that when I listen to too many negative reports, that my heart becomes very heavy.  Heavy with sadness, heavy with fear and if I am not careful, a slow spiral into depression. I want resolution.  I want peace. So, what have I learned to do about it?

In faith, I fight back. Not physically, but mentally and spiritually.

BAM! I fight back fear by praying in faith.

BAM! I fight back by speaking God’s Word.

Giving “fear” a good 1-2 punch, fortifies my faith.

It encourages me that God is more powerful than anything I or anyone else will ever face.  BAM!

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

 but of power and of love and of a sound mind. BAM!

REFLECTION

Is there a fear you are facing now that needs a good spiritual 1-2 punch?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father remind me to pray for all the struggles facing our country.  Help me to recognize when fear creeps into my heart and stand in faith to give fear a good 1-2 punch. As I write 2 Timothy 1:7 and say it aloud, implant it in my heart and help me to see how very much You love me.

STRENGTHEN FAITH BY DEFEATING FEAR WITH GOD’S WORD

Boxers unknown on pixabay
Boxing glove photo by Bogdan Yukhymchuk on unsplash

Please let me know how you like my blog. You can connect with me on my Facebook page or by email through this website. Thanks so much!