Fear is a secret enemy that invades everyone of every age, skin color, and walk of life, it is subtle and can devastating, it poisons our thinking, and robs our inner peace, and squelches our zest for living. It makes us nervous, uneasy, alarmed, disturbed, upset and faint-hearted,
We fear conflict and change, failure and frustration. Some people fear sickness and suffering. Others fear harm will come to their loved ones. Some fear other people and their opinions. Many are afraid to die and face the unknown. Some as not only afraid to live, but also afraid to die.
Fear enters our minds slowly and silently, we hardly tea, size we are becoming victims of its damaging influence. Even a little fear, like a drop of dye in a glass of water, discolors everything. When a thin stream of fear is not stopped our thoughts can be diverted.
Life is complex, we live in a violent world, but outward troubles don’t need to mar our inner peace. It is the fear from within we must face. Fear enters when our most important needs are not met. We saw this during the coronavirus scare. – If you don’t take this vaccine you will die, if you don’t stay six feet apart you’ll be infected. Our souls are made in the image of God, and we should cry out for Him during situations like this. When we don’t call on God, we can expect to be filled with fears and phobias.
Satan takes full advantage of our fears. At every opportunity, he intensifies them and makes them seem even more real and logical. Our way becomes darker and darker, and our burden becomes heavier and heavier until we lose hope of any deliverance.
Satan works best in darkness. He can not work in the light because “God is light, and in Him of no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Satan knows our weaknesses, and in these areas, he presents thoughts and fears. He seeks to destroy truth and confuse us with falsehood. If we keep these things converted in the darkness of our hearts and minds, Satan will continue to do his evil work of discouragment and fear. But He can be defeated and his powers can be driven back when they are exposed to the light.
In all my experiences I have learned that sin causes an overwhelming fear that springs from one’s life in not pleasing to God. It was a tragic day when Adam and Eve embraced the suggestion from satan to disobey God’s command not to eat of the tree in the garden. Through disobedience, they sinned and then hid from God, when He called. In Genesis 3:10 Adam said,
“I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Through generations since Adam, all mankind has come under this shadow of sin. The fear of judgments of God. If we move to a place of repentance it can become a positive force in one’s life. Psalm 111:10 says,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
This is reverential respect and the awe we feel when we see God’s greatness, His righteousness, His judgments, His love, His mercy, His wisdom, and His eternal being. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. Our existence is entirely in His hands and we are before Him in His creation. We should be afraid to displease God. God’s righteousness condemns to hell those who live in sin.
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries“ – Hebrews 10:26-27
This knowledge brings a fear of sin. As we come to know God as a friend through our repentance, forgiveness, and obedience, our service to Him motivates a godly fear, and by love and thanksgiving for His unspeakable gift of salvation.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears had not been made perfect in love” -1 John 4:18
Our fear of Him is not one that strikes terror in our hearts, but one that deepens our love for Him. When fully applied in our lives, this is one fear that can overcome all others. Why do so many people allow clouds of fear to grip their hearts, trouble their minds, and darker life’s pathway when God’s way is a way of peace and trust?
There’s a story told about a small child who was afraid to walk alone in the dark, but when their father walked beside them and held their hand all fear vanished. The darkness no held no fear, because they loved and trusted their father, and they knew he would take care of them. The key here is for us to be free from fear, we must learn to know our heavenly Father well.
When become so acquainted with God, we can trust our lives completely to Him, placing our hands safely into His. We can humbly ask Him questions that plague our minds, and those sorrows of life that would plague us to despair.
In Matthew 14:24-31 we get an example of this from Peter. When Jesus bade him to walk on the water of the Sea of Galilee. Peter was not afraid until he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the waves. Then he began to sink.
When we seek freedom from fear and place our confidence in God, His Holy Spirit will speak to us in a still small voice. And as we look to Him rather than our fears, the storms calm around us. He can then answer our questions and replace our doubt with assurance, and take our hand, and comfort us. By His grace, we can overcome the crippling effects of fear.
The mysterious unknown of the future makes many people feel uneasy. Each morning they wake up to an unpredictable day. They face those “what ifs” as their minds wander down the road of imaginary dread.
“In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” -Philippians 4:6
Every morning we have an opportunity to pray and ask God for a blessed day, and for Him to watch over us. By putting the future into God’s hands and trusting Him we can surrender to Him the burden of the unknown. Try it and see!
Many fear the future because they lack direction in their lives. Not knowing where they are going, they have a sense of apprehension. God knows what lies ahead, their lives will not be an aimless journey, but a way home.
God promised to be faithful to those who trust Him even though we face an unknown future. No matter how severe the storms of life are in the dark of night or how high the mountain, He will take you through it.
We all have a desire to achieve things, but we fear that we will fail ourselves, our families, or life itself. We fear we will make a wrong choice or carry out a wrong plan. But God said in Joshua 1:9,
“Haven’t I commanded you! Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
When we place our lives under the direction of our Master, past failures are not final, they can become stepping stones to success.
We all cringe at the thought of bodily pain, the but of criticism, the pangs of loneliness and grief. God will not shield us from all suffering, but He has promised grace to help us bear it. He had promised peace and assurance in the midst of our troubles.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas” – Psalm 46:1-2
If we love the Lord, He will use suffering for our good. Suffering provides an opportunity to know the presence and upholding power of God. It also brings depth of character and an understanding heart. Suffering can either make us or break us. When we are suffering we can get closer to God by praying or reading His Word.
Fear of death is very common in our lives. Saying goodbye is a painful assignment. But when we come to grips with the old age question,
“If a man does, shall he live again?“ – Job 14:14
Jesus came to deliver us from the fear of death. That is why He died and rose again, and that is why He promised,
“Yet a little while, and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also” John 14:19
With Him, death is not a don’t into nothing less, but a shining gateway into a new life.
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you” – John 14:1-2
Have you repented of you’re sins? Repentance brings remorse of a life of sin and a turning away from that old life.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28,
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.”
When you come truthfully, prayerfully, hopefully, you will have peace of mind.
Come and you will know the gentle joys of restful living. God invites us to trust Jesus and be free.
From Pity to Praise 