At some point in our lives, we all go through change. Whether it is a change in our job situation, the death of a friend or family member and many other things, we can all be assured that change will come to our lives.

Unfortunately, change has a cousin that it always brings to the party. That cousin is named FEAR. How do we handle change and the fear of the unknown?

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The answer is really quite simple. In fact, it is so simple that sometimes we completely miss it. The short answer is, we put our trust in the Lord. While that sounds simple, it may not seem so easy to you. Let me encourage you, when change comes and you aren't sure what the outcome will be, look to your past and remember the times that God has been faithful to you and realize that there will never be a time that He won't be faithful.

God is faithful and He will take care of you if you will put your faith and in Him.

Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)
25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

A mature Christian KNOWS that the Lord is with them all the time and no matter what they are going through, the Holy Spirit is still there. Like Paul, the mature Christian has learned how to be content in any situation. God is (1) Faithful, God (2) Never Changes and God will (3) Never Leave you or Forsake you!

Our well-being and our supply come through God not through a job or through money. Learn to be content and be in peace, in whatever situation you may find yourself in. If you can learn that lesson before you encounter changes or hardships, you will be better off!

If you are trusting in your job to be your supply, you could be let down very quickly if that company went out of business. Saving money is a good thing but if you are trusting the money you have saved, it can let you down too. If you have cash saved up and hidden, someone could find your money and take it or they could rob you. If you have your money in a bank, the economy of the country in which you live could fall, leaving your money not worth the paper it is printed on. This happened in Germany before World War II. Hyper-inflation hit and it literally took a wheel barrow full of cash to buy a loaf of bread! God is our only true source and He will never change! There are spiritual laws we should follow that always work. One of those is the law of giving and receiving. If we need something, we need to give something! If we give our tithes and our offerings back to the Lord, He promises to take care of us financially. See Malachi 3:8-12.

As you grow in the Lord, you will learn to be content no matter what is going on in your life. You can be content because you KNOW that God has not left you or forsaken you. Paul learned this lesson as we see in his epistle to the Philippians.

Philippians 4:12-13 (ESV)
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Fear and worry never come from God. They come from our adversary, the devil. The Bible is clear that we, as believers in Christ, have authority over the devil. Also, if we will walk in faith, we will not walk in fear. We cannot do both at the same time.

God loves you! No matter what change comes to your life, it will never be able to stop God's faithfulness to you.

When fear creeps in, speak to it! Tell fear that you are a child of God and that it has no place in your mind! Then tell it to leave in the name of Jesus! Then steer your mind in a different direction thinking of things that are good, wholesome and righteous.

Fear will try to raise its ugly head over and over but never give it a place. You can walk free of fear as you grow in your faith by studying His Word, the Bible. It takes practice to get to where fear doesn't bother you as much but with His help, you can grow to a place where fear and worry don't exist!

If you are facing change and fear has come upon you, pray this prayer:

"Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take my fear! Your Word says that perfect love casts out fear and Father you are perfect love and you live inside of my by your Holy Spirit. You are my provider. You are my source! Fear, you MUST LEAVE now because you have no place in my heart. God's Word says He will meet my needs according to HIS RICHES, not mine or anyone elses. So, leave now fear, in the name of Jesus Christ! Father, I thank you for providing everything and giving me a life that is running over with abundance!"