Fear
Not: How to Stop Feeding Fear and Overcome It
Fear is one of the strongest motivators. It can
push us into wrong actions or freeze us into inaction. How can we keep God’s
instruction to “fear not”?
Fear
grabs our attention. It gets us ready to fight—or flee. Whether we mask our
fear with macho bravado or slink away to seek refuge, it can have a powerful
effect on our thinking, decisions and actions.
A
healthy fear can keep us from harm. But too often fear keeps us from doing what
we want—or need—to do. Sometimes it provokes us into wrong or dangerous responses.
Biblically speaking, fear can contribute to obeying—or disobeying—God’s law.
Why
does fear seem so pervasive in society today, and what can we do to control it?
Fear now
Increasing
troubles in the world and our neighborhoods can make us feel like we are living
in a fear zone. Politicians and hucksters of every stripe play on our fears for
their own benefit, but that doesn’t mean the underlying dangers are not real.
Terrorism,
mass shootings, spreading warfare, violent crime, disease epidemics, natural
disasters, deadly animals—all of these are in the news and too often in our
entertainment and our nightmares.
Some
high-profile dangers we tend to overplay (like fear of sharks, flying and mass
shootings), while other much more common killers we tend to downplay (like auto
accidents and germs). Many of the things we fear never happen to us, and even
when they do, all our anxieties and worries generally have done nothing to
protect us.
The
Bible does not minimize many of the things we fear. In fact, it shows that the
world will become more dangerous and frightening as the end
times approach.
But
it also shows how we can deal with our fears—both the good and the bad.
Fear of the Lord
First,
the good fear.
The
Bible does promote an exceptional fear—a reasonable fear that actually allows
us to eradicate all the deceptive and destructive fears. This healthy awe and
respect for our Creator puts us on the path to spiritual knowledge and wisdom
(Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 111:10).
But
many other fears do not have good results.
Feelings, phobias and real fears
Our
temperament and experiences can contribute to the unique set of phobias and
fearful feelings we have. Traumatic events early in life can etch pathways of
fear into our brains. Feelings of insecurity can intensify natural human
tendencies, like the common fear of public speaking.
Do
we have to just live in a constant state of anxiety, punctuated by flashes of
sheer terror? Experts often suggest fighting irrational fears and phobias with
education to change our thinking and practice dealing with the
anxiety-producing situations. Many books and online resources have been written
about combating specific phobias and anxieties.
But
what about the rational fears—the real troubles facing our world that we often
have little control over? Do we have to just live in a constant state of
anxiety, punctuated by flashes of sheer terror?
 |
| Isaiah 41:10 |
Fear vs. faith
The
Bible instructs God’s people many times to “fear
not.” God does not want us to be debilitated by fear.
For
those who have the proper awe and respect for God and who strive to obey His
commands, God makes some wonderful promises:
· “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” (Isaiah 41:10).
· “All your children shall be taught
by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness
you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not
fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you” (Isaiah 54:13-14).
· “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of
all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).
· “Are not two sparrows sold for a
copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s
will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore;
you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).
· “Do not fear, little flock, for it
is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
· “Peace I leave with you, My peace I
give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
· “For He Himself has said, ‘I will
never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
As
we grow in the faith to believe these promises, we can increase our ability to
turn our worries over to God.
Consider
the following biblical principles and examples in your battle with fear:
Go to God with your fears
We
can ask God for His strength and peace. David, a man after God’s own heart,
faced many frightening situations. After escaping one terrifying incident in
the midst of Philistine territory, he wrote, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my
fears” (Psalm 34:4).
The
apostle Paul, no stranger to fears himself (2 Corinthians 7:5), gave this
advice and reassurance: “Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ”
(Philippians 4:6-7).
Seek God’s Spirit
God
gives His Spirit to those who repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38), and one
fruit of His Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22). Paul also said it is not “a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
God’s
Spirit empowers us to control our thinking and to do the right things for the
right reason.
Grow in faith
Our
trust in God is based on His promises and His faithfulness.
The Faith Chapter,
Hebrews 11, is full of stories of men and women who grew to believe that God
would do exactly what He promised. Their trust in the faithful God helped them
face their fears and act in faith. It helped them wait patiently and
courageously endure terrifying trials.
The
greatest example is Jesus Christ Himself. “Looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Like
the faithful people of old, we should focus beyond this fearful world on the
positive future God has in store. We can also meditate on and appreciate the
comfort and peace God gives now.
We
can ask God for more faith (Luke 17:5; Mark
9:24).
We
should then act on that faith in obedience to God, since “faith without works is
dead” (James 2:20). If our focus is on God’s Word and His eternal promises more
than the temporary physical circumstances, we will increase our faith and
decrease our fear.
Focus on the positive
Like
the faithful people of old, we should focus beyond this fearful world on the
positive future God has in store. We can also meditate on and appreciate the
comfort and peace God gives now.
Paul
directed our thinking toward the positive: “Finally,
brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things
are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things
are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
He
also often extolled the importance of gratitude: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Perfect love casts out fear
On
our spiritual journey we must never forget our foundational fear of the
Lord—our reverence for Him; our recognition of our dependence on Him. This
proper perspective should lead to appreciation and praise—and a deeper love of
the God who has given us everything we have and ever will receive. He loved us
so much He even gave His own Son!
So
our relationship with God grows on that foundation. “We love Him because He first loved us,” John wrote (1 John 4:19).
What
does that love do?
If we follow His steps and let Him live in us, we will not
need to fear the only thing worth fearing: God’s day of judgment (verse 17; Matthew 10:28)
As
a result, fear is conquered. John summed up the ultimate goal this way: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love
casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
We
can go to God with our fears. We can seek more of His Spirit. We can grow in
faith in His ability to defeat anything that threatens us. We can find comfort
and security in His loving care.
The
fear and loathing of this age will be replaced with love and rejoicing
forevermore!
Would you want God to
change your life?
God has made it possible
for you to know Him and experience an
amazing change in your own life through
a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, and have eternal life.
Say the following
prayer:
“Father
God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.
I
am truly sorry. I now want to
turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You.
Please
forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.
I
believe that Your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the
dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I
invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from
this day forward. Thank You that according to Your Word, I am now born again.
Please
send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of
my life. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.
Use
me for Your glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
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“His Strength Is Perfect” STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN
lyrics
I can do all things through
Christ, who gives me strength
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me?
No great success to show, no glory on my own
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me?
No great success to show, no glory on my own
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know
His strength is perfect when
our strength is gone
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect
We can only know the power
that He holds
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes
His strength in us begins, where ours comes to an end
He hears our humble cry and proves again
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes
His strength in us begins, where ours comes to an end
He hears our humble cry and proves again
His strength is perfect when
our strength is gone
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect when
our strength is gone
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect
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