“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10.
Fear is a strong motivator and very difficult to resist. We allow it to paralyze us when we know we should act, to work us into a frenzy when we know we should remain calm; it causes us to stretch the truth, to dictate relationships and to guide our interactions with each other. Fear can drive us to do things that we otherwise would not do. As followers of Jesus Christ, how do we deal with fear? How are we to respond to fears in our past? In our present? And how can we prepare for fears we have yet to face?
Jesus knew that we would be afraid. That is why we read “fear not” over and over again in the Bible. God knows that we alone cannot overcome our fears. Fortunately His love and grace enable us to conquer our fears. The good news is God does not want us living in fear.
If we are going to do and be all that God intended, then we have to decide to silence the negative voices of fear and instead listen to and speak the truth of God’s Word. The devil will try to fan your fears with “what if you fail? What if you embarrass yourself?” In those times, concentrate on the promises and reassurance of God. Remember His power, love, presence and trustworthiness. Remember His faithfulness. The reality is that Christ is with us and He is at work in and through us. He is on our side, protecting us always.
Jesus asks us to turn our fear over to Him. Replace that fear with the love, power and sound mind that He did gives us. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) His presence is the answer to our fear. Fight fear with a faithful, indescribable God.
The only way to deal with fear is to face it head-on before it takes over your life. Trust that God is for us and if God is for us what do we have to fear? “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
Discussion Questions:
- What fears do you have in your life today?
- What can we do this week to give those fears to God?