No Fear

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:5-6.

Those words from Hebrews provide us with a comforting promise, along with an insightful command as we begin the first few days of 2016. A new year, a new list of resolutions, and the same fears. Right? While our intentions are to make changes when the new year begins, more often than not, the same fears follow us into the new year.  That’s because fears are the hardest things to change. Each year we fear that our needs or the needs of someone we love are not going to be met. Or we fear that the things we think are meeting our needs are going to be taken away from us. Faith is the antidote to fear. 

Moses is an example of faith overcoming fear. Moses faced the greatest opposition you could possibly experience in life. Leading a rebellious group of complainers to standing against the most powerful government in the world, who wanted to keep Him and his people in captivity and poverty, a government that wanted to Kill God’s people and God’s plan. Moses’ faith won out over fear.

To overcome fear we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 13:27 says, “By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.”

Moses didn’t focus on the king’s anger, but rather focused on the One who is invisible. So what are we focusing on for 2016?

Maybe you are seeking approval and fear the loss of that approval. If making money is your thing, you probably have a fear of losing your income. Maybe you are afraid of losing your marriage. If success is your number one priority, you may fear losing that success. If your reputation is number one, you will fear losing it and always be working to bolster up your self image. There are many other fears, but you get the idea. 

Moses didn’t fear because he focused on Him who is invisible. That sounds like good advice for each of us for 2016. Focusing on God, the primary way that we see Him today is through His word. It tells us about Jesus, it instructs us, builds our faith and tells us about the plan and purpose that God has for our life. 2 Timothy 1:7-9 says, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

We don’t know what we will face in 2016. We may face something that we don’t understand and we may face it alone. And uncertainty creates fear. I don’t know what I’m going to face next year. But there’s one thing I know. God’s Word promises that God will never forsake us.

Discussion Questions:

1. What area of your life do you find yourself consistently fearful of what might come or what won’t come?
2. Why do you think it’s hard to let go of control and trust God for your future?
3. Was there a time when you were fearful of the future and acted out on that fear (i.e., leading to anxiety, etc.)? What happened?
4. What steps can you take in 2016 to settle your fears?