Humans panic first and pray later. The enemy doesn’t even have to try that hard. One evil thought can send us half into despair.
Different versions express the same message. “Do not be afraid.” “Do not be afraid.” “Do not be afraid.” In other words, as children of God, we have the authority to overcome fear. Jesus Himself directly said, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus tells us that we don’t have to live with our worries and fears alone. Sure we nod at advice, but we rarely actually follow it. I think most of us always are. It’s easy to believe in wise words, but it’s hard to actually live by them.
Christians are not without worries, either.
Being human is not easy. Our brains can work non-stop on things that can drag us down if we don’t act rashly. And just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you can escape the hardships of reality. Fear still strikes from time to time, like a rainstorm that appears without warning during the summer.
Like most Christians, my faith has come and gone. And as the fear lingers heavily in the back of my mind, I can’t help but feel the weight of guilt wash over me. We are asked, “Where is your faith?” The point is, it’s not that we don’t have faith. that’s right. As Christians, we know that God is always there to rescue us, but we also know that our prayers often remain on hold for months or even years. And that’s when worry creeps in and fear hits our faces.
God made me realize that sometimes faith is not a missing ingredient in one of those quiet moments with Him. As Christians we have faith. What we lack is the patience to wait and to stop trying to micromanage every little obstacle and problem that tries to bring us down.
We want to take charge of every failure and resolve everything according to our own schedule. But the Christian life doesn’t work that way. I myself sometimes forget the lessons I swore I would never forget. It’s that the more you push for control, the longer the detour becomes.
So when I asked God for more faith, He responded by instilling this in me. That means having the patience to wait and the humility to stop intimidating God, loosen my bonds, and allow God to work according to His schedule.
Professing your faith is easy because you know God will help you. What is a little difficult is the waiting and you need patience to overcome the waiting time.
When you kneel in prayer, fear disappears.
So I asked him. “Oh, God, how long do I have to wait then?” How am I, with the patience of an ant, to get through this season of waiting? Then I remembered this Bible verse about “a tree planted by the waters” (Jeremiah 17:8). He made it clear to me that the only thing that would get me through was being in God’s presence like clockwork. And indeed, in times of spiritually depleting fear, God’s presence is truly a comfort to the soul. When we sincerely pray and strive to stay rooted in the Word, miraculous interventions occur. You know such a peace that is beyond the comprehension of this world. Only those who put their hope in the Lord will find this.
On good days, when I let God join me, all fear, while not completely gone, hardly disturbs my peace. But some fears remain. I am human after all, but even when I am completely submerged in God’s presence, they do not sting the wound like acid.
Faith versus fear.
People of faith often say that fear and faith are like relatives that are never compatible. The former counts the cracks, while the latter sees light passing through them. Fear can make even the most devout Christian tremble, but faith allows us to endure even when fear grabs us by the throat. I can’t help but think of all of God’s servants in the past who refused to renounce their faith in God and continued to suffer to the end. Punishments vary and include being stripped of belongings, being fed to lions, starving to death, or being submerged in the muddy water of a reservoir.
Faith in God places this reality in a framework larger than ourselves, rather than pretending that fears and problems don’t exist. And what is the truth? God is with us. Isaiah 41:10 clearly says, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged; for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” We can endure because we are God’s people who run toward hope rather than wallow in despair.
Remember that fear often creates insidious arguments in your head that say, “Look at the evidence! It’s impossible!” But we have a stronger claim to God’s love and faithfulness. 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” If love is proof, fear is a false witness, seeking to discredit the One with an unparalleled track record.
Remember when Peter walked on water? In just a few steps, he succeeded. But fear cried out, “Sink! Sink!” And he broke, and he began to sink. But if I had tried to focus on Jesus, I wouldn’t have sunk. This is a lesson I must take to heart. Remember that in the face of unwavering faith, fear often becomes so small that you can hardly utter a word. In other words, fear and faith can’t really tango on equal footing. Faith may not deny the existence of fear, but it silences fear.
But even when we are looking down, depressed, or overcome by fear, God doesn’t just watch and scold us. He reaches out, just as he did to Peter.
So even if our life is marred by all kinds of fears, we should remember who is holding our hand. We can breathe even when what we fear most is still in front of us. That’s because God sees everything. God knows and understands our fears. Only with that thought can we continue to move forward. Fear will still appear from time to time. But we shouldn’t sit with fear for too long. If we don’t, we will quickly fall under its spell. Fear only has power if you give it to yourself. Of course, I understand that the fear of being placed in such an unpleasant situation for however long God allows is quite discouraging.
When that happens, here’s what I do to stay sane and grounded.
Be Rooted in the Word
God’s word has power. It gives you clarity of mind and gives you courage when you need it.
to be grateful from the bottom of my heart
I remember someone saying that being grateful should be like gorging yourself on all the little victories and little joys that creep into your day. Because gratitude is a rebellion against fear, it reminds us that something good is still happening.
We are reminded that God always has our best interests in mind.Our spiritual life is only strengthened when it is tested.
If we want to mature in the faith, we must accept the fact that patience is part of the Christian life.
Finally, because we love God, we are confident of this promise: “For those who love God, all things work together for good.” If so, what do you have to fear when you find out how things will end?
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all fear.” Psalm 34:4
Photo credit: ©Unsplash/Sean Frankland
