How often do we let fear hold us back? This could be a fear of what others might think of us, a fear of being uncomfortable (emotionally or physically), or even a fear of danger/dying.
“Do Not Fear”
God says this phrase in varying ways over 100 times in the Bible. I think there’s a message he’s trying to get across to us.
Besides fearing God (which really means “hold a reverence for”), we aren’t called to fear anything else. Not our salvation, our enemies, our future, death, Satan, the world. The list could go on.
Fear is just like any other negative feeling. It’s about time we treat it as such. If we are feeling exhausted, but our kids are hungry, then you push through. If you feel tired, but your alarm goes off, you get up and go to work. It’s called being an adult: Doing what you don’t want to do because you know you need to do it.
Let’s apply this to fear
Fear is real, but it doesn’t need to control us. We step out into scary things all the time for personal gain, like getting married, asking for a promotion, or even buying that first house. But how often do we press through fear to follow God’s calling? Many people say that the number one thing keeping them from sharing their faith with a stranger or close friend is fear. So many don’t trust God with their money because of fear, and many others don’t go into the mission-field because of fear.
Why is fear an excuse?
If we can act despite fear for some personal gain, then we can’t use that excuse when it comes to following God.
Fear should be a confirmation that we are following God
God doesn’t make us afraid. He says “Perfect love casts out fear.” So, where is this fear coming from? There could be one of three sources: our sinful flesh, our sinful world, or Satan. That’s right, if you are terrified about doing something for God’s sake, the odds are that Satan knows God is calling you to something great. Of course he wants to stop it. He can’t stop us if we have the Holy Spirit, but he can try to convince us to stop ourselves. That’s where fear comes in.
What a clever trick.
If Satan could make our step of obedience to God feel like it’s not worth it, then suddenly our decision isn’t as clear. We may want to follow God and experience a closer relationship with him, but we also want to be comfortable and ‘play it safe’. Did you notice that keyword up above? Feel. Satan knows we’ll be rewarded with a closer relationship with God, which is always worth it. But we don’t always know this, so he tricks us with the feeling of fear.
Why do we let Satan stop us?
No matter how awkward it might be, no matter what they may do or how they may react, it is always a good idea to take a step of faith. Just make sure your heart is in the right place. Share the gospel out of love and compassion. Take risks because God is calling you, not to be reckless. Say what you need to say because you care about them not because you “know better”.
But, even when you do fail, remember God is still there. Just as God doesn’t make us feel afraid, he also isn’t the one who makes us feel guilty. That’s another one of Satan’s traps. God comforts us in our failures and encourages us to do better the next time.
What are your thoughts? How do you conquer fear?
