“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the assurance of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Human tendencies to fear, other than a healthy respect for God’s character, are used by the enemy to distract us from the perfect life in Christ that we are called to live. Faith is a powerful force, but it must be developed in parallel with a relationship with Christ. Through the Holy Spirit living within us, we have the power to thwart the fears that stumble, harass, and attempt to harass us. Faith protects us from unhealthy fears. “Fear stands at the threshold of our destiny and forces us to step into it,” writes Sharon Jaynes in Your Daily Prayer. Faith creates a barrier through which we can skillfully filter fear, align it with God’s truth, and place it at God’s feet. Developing faith to overcome fear requires daily discipline, constant prayer, knowledge of who God is, and an awareness of who God says we are.
5 ways to keep faith instead of fear
Here are five ways to grow your faith and overcome fear.
1. Define appropriate sources of faith confidence
“We have such confidence before God through Christ. It is not that we have the ability to claim anything for ourselves, but our ability comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:4-5
This passage answers a question from a few chapters earlier in Paul’s letters and refers to two trajectories of human life on earth. Either we follow Christ and are saved, or we perish by exerting ourselves. (NIVSB) If we don’t make an effort to grow in our faith, we will get caught up in the undertow of fear. “God has not given us a spirit of fear,” 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us. “The power of love and healthy thoughts.”
“Humans are born with two fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises,” writes Dan Johnson for the Home Word devotion. “Fear is innate, so in our daily life in Christ we need to replace old fears with new ones.” Confident faith is rooted in quiet time with God and a pursuit of the Savior. The fear of God increases our confidence in who God says we are. Fear of humans is based on what the world says we should be. To quote Johnson further: “Fearing God means caring more about what God thinks than what people think. Being Christlike means transcending our biology and living as children of a great God.”
2. Develop the strength to endure fear
“Think of him who endured such opposition for the sake of sinners, lest you grow weary or discouraged.” Hebrews 12:3
Fear is a common element of humanity, and our response to it reveals the state of our faith. Long-distance runners must conserve stamina and strength. We must persistently train ourselves to know and live God’s truth. Just like a runner overcomes excruciating pain to finish a race, we can replace fear with peace.
Pastor Rick Warren asserts in Daily Hope, “Everyone has fear. The problem is not that you are afraid. What really matters is how you respond to fear.” Jesus selflessly endured immeasurable suffering leading up to the cross. That’s the attitude we should have when we train. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not therefore, for I am with you; do not be discouraged; for I am your God; I will strengthen you, and will help you; with my righteous hand I will uphold you.” Sometimes we look back years later and retrace our steps to the hand of the Lord. But just as runners don’t feel fit after the first month of running, we grow stronger with each faithful step.
3. Pray for perspective.
“The Lord sets captives free; he opens the eyes of the blind; he raises up those who are bowed down; he loves the righteous.” Psalm 146:7-8 ESV
On this earth, our view of God is limited. As we grow in our faith, we begin to glimpse life through God’s eternal perspective. His perspective is eternal. he is just
“Blessed is the God of Jacob who helps him, and his help is in the Lord his God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice to the oppressed and feeds the hungry.” Psalm 146:5-7a ESV
God is sovereign even as the earth falls apart. When you want to fear what you don’t understand, faith will keep you from completely losing your mind. “Reality tells us that many of the things we spend time worrying about never actually happen,” writes Debbie McDaniel.
4. Right relationships create courage and faith.
A transparent relationship with God is a powerful weapon against fear. Things that we would not cry out to our souls on this earth are free to bring before God. God hears our voices and is there for the brokenhearted. “There is no such thing as a fearless Christian,” writes John Bloom of desiringGod.org. “One of the proofs that God is answering my prayers is that I am forced to face a number of situations and decisions that incite fear, the kind of fear that makes me want to withdraw from the bold acts of love in the name of Jesus that these situations and decisions require.”
VOICE’s paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 1:9 assures us, “Count on this: God is faithful, and in his faithfulness he invites you into an intimate relationship with his anointed son, our Lord Jesus.” Jesus was very transparent with his earthly friends. Jesus washed their feet and explained everything the Father had said to them. Jesus wept with his friends, prayed intimately with them and for them, healed them, forgave them, and ultimately died for them and for us. He calls us friends. God lives within us, but we often do not accept Him. We honor the fear of God when we believe that His power is greater than the One who conquered death.
1 John 4:18 assures us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for with fear comes punishment. He who fears will not be made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 assures us: Our Father has placed us in community so that we can support and encourage one another. “Fear and worry can consume us if we’re not careful, and it’s important for Christians to surround themselves with a strong support system,” writes Ryan Duncan. We are not meant to live life alone. It’s much scarier that way, and the fear is even more powerful. Galatians 6:2 exhorts us, “Carry one another’s burdens, and you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Immerse yourself in community and trust that God has brought people close to you as an extension of His love.
For more scriptures about community, click here.
5. Clearly define self-care and faith.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? He is in you, and you have received it from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
You cannot live life to the fullest if you remain empty. God placed the Sabbath in our lives, so it is important to respect it. We are wise to take healthy steps to reach the full potential God intended for us, but ignoring physical steps does not diminish God’s love for us. “Modern medical research has proven that worrying can actually weaken your resistance to disease. Excessive worrying can shorten your lifespan,” writes Greg Laurie.
Self-care includes keeping God’s truth as our top priority, knowing that our focus drives the overall direction of our faith. “Paul says there is some value in physical training,” writes Kevin DeYoung, “It’s good to want to take care of your body. But fear of humans turns healthy self-care into an obsession with your shape, color, and size.” God should be the only part of our daily lives we can’t live without.
Click here for more poems about your body.
Let’s stick to faith rather than fear
Faith means listening and trusting beyond what we can see and understand. The Bible says that we should cast our worries on God because God protects the righteous and God cares for us. Faith chooses the Lord over fear every day, even when something threatens to steal our attention. Keven DeYoung writes of Jesus, “When it came to living your life according to God, Jesus knew better than to rely on the opinions of others.” God is the source of all communities on this earth, but be careful not to prioritize other relationships over God. Faith is the decision to stop worrying about the “what ifs” of life and instead focus on what the Lord says is true. Christ never promised us an easy life, but He did promise us that we would never go through anything alone. Faith lasts a lifetime, even in times of seemingly unexplained, unfair, and never-ending pain.
Click here for more scriptures about faith.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/helivideo
Meg is a graduate of Ashland University. She is a writer, author, editor, and digital content creator. She left her job in Internet marketing in 2008 to raise her daughter. This gave me the opportunity to let my passion for writing shine through my blog, Sunny & 80… Life inside the Love of Christ. Meg has served as a children’s worship team leader and middle school leader at a local church. She founded and led the Breakfast Club Bible Study Group for tweens, served as a Young Life leader and committee member, and has led the Women’s Bible Study Group. She also volunteers as a content creator at a local church, studied Bible/Missionary Training at Global University, completed COMPEL PRO Writer Training, and is Ethical AI Certified. Meg has been contributing to Salem Web Network since 2016 and is now excited to be part of the Salem Web Network team. Her entire library of books can be found on her Amazon author page.
