In previous blogs, I have written about making a commitment in our journey to the healthy place and forgiving ourselves from past mistakes we have made regarding our health.  However, knowing we need to do these things and actually being able to commit and forgive are different.  I am a registered nurse and have spent most of my life in healthcare. And I still have a hard time applying the knowledge I have about health to make the necessary changes.  What is it that can paralyze us and keep us in a state of stagnation?  Why do we continue to have problems doing what we know is right?  The answer is “FEAR”.

The definition of fear is “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, like to cause pain, or a threat.” definition of fear – Bing  The key word in this definition is “belief”.  How we think about or perceive something can influence how we act and what we say.  What we believe becomes our trajectory towards or away from what we hope to accomplish.  In Hebrews 11: 1 faith is defined.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  When I think about things I accomplished, I always had faith and believed I would succeed.  Therefore, in the hard times of struggle, I would press forward towards my goal.  When we have faith, it is hard to “give up” because we KNOW we are going to get to the desired destination.  But fear, scares us into letting go of the dreams or the goals we have established for ourselves. 

The story of God’s people (the Israelites) in the Bible is a good example of what happens when fear is allowed to rule over faith.  In Numbers 13:2, God asked (His assigned leader over the Israelites) Moses to send out men to explore the land of Canaan which He would give to them.  Moses obeyed and sent out 12 spies to scout out the land and come back with a report about the land and if the people who dwelled there were weak or strong, few or many. (Numbers 13:17-20) 

However, after 40 days of scouting, ten of the spies came back with a bad report which was based on fear.  As a side note, the number 40 in the Bible represents a time of testing. After their time of exploration of the territory which God had already said He would give them, only two came back with a report which was based on faith.  God’s direction to send the men to explore the land was God’s test of faith.  How many of them would believe in God’s word regardless of how things appeared?  (Deuteronomy 8:2) And only two were able to pass the test. These two understood that God had promised them the land.  They believed if He was with them, then they could overcome any giants (obstacles) that were in their promised land.  Their faith was in God’s word and what He had told them through their leader, Moses.  They went with what was not seen instead of what they saw with their natural eyes.

However, the other ten spies were stuck in fear because of their perception.  Therefore, they went with the seen instead of the unseen.   This is noted in Genesis 13: 28, 31, and 33, “Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there…But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we….And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”  There were ten out of twelve people who had already seen God bring them out of horrible circumstances. (Exodus 14)  They saw God destroy their slave masters (the Egyptians) in the Red Sea, as they were delivered out of slavery, and they still did not believe God’s word because of what they saw in Canaan.

This failed test caused an entire generation to get stuck in the wilderness of stagnation for 40 years.  They all died in the wilderness except for the two who had faith and their children, 20 and under. (Numbers 13:20-24, 29) They never got to see the land God promised them and it was all due to fear.  How often do we see our situations from a perspective of fear rather than of faith?  As believers and followers in Jesus Christ, our only choice should be faith in our Lord and not false perception.  When we made the choice to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we inherited many promises.  Therefore, we spend our life of discovery in our journey to the healthy place.  We get to experience life from His perspective and not our own.  We get to learn the ways of Jesus who came from heaven but lived a life of faith on the earth.  And we then can apply His ways in our own life to see prosperity and abundance. (John 10:10)

In Isaiah 55:11 it states, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”  God’s words are true and what He says will happen, will happen.  However, it is our faith which is the key for us to enter in.  Allowing fear to derail us can keep us in a stagnant place where we never accomplish our goals.  We will live in a world of constant doubt, stress and anxiety.  We will never lose the weight, decrease our cholesterol levels or feel more energy when we are fearful.  What are we fearful of, you may ask?  There may be many things we fear.  However what we fear most is change, failure, and that the people around us will not support what we want to accomplish.

But it is up to us to make a personal decision in what we believe and in whom we believe.  In order to make it and be successful on this journey to the Healthy Place we need to be committed to transforming our mind. (Romans 12:2) When we begin to change our mind, then this allows us to change our perception and we can then learn God’s will for our lives.  I believe each of you will be successful on this journey but you have to believe it more than I do.  It does not matter if you have failed in the past because reward is seen in your determination.  Thomas Edison quoted this in regards to the many times it had taken him to invent the lightbulb.  “I haven’t failed—I’ve just found 10,00 that won’t work.” 

What you have been unsuccessful in doing has allowed you the opportunity to try again.  Persistence and diligence are important to faith because they keep our eyes on seeking God.  Hebrews 11:7 states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and the He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  As you will find out next time there is a purpose for our journey and it is all good.  Remember, “hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) As we continue on our journey to the healthy place and make the choice of faith over fear, what has been delayed because of fear will be restored when you ignite your faith.

Read and meditate on these scriptures this week:

• Ephesians 3:14-20 (AMPC)
• Habakkuk 3:17-19
• Psalm 16:1,11
• Isaiah 41:10
• Psalm 27:3
• Luke 12:4
• Hebrews 13:6
• Psalm 34:4

In the future, look for new blog entries every Wednesday and Saturday.