Who or what is it that causes us to fear? Why do we sometimes allow this emotion of faithlessness to rule our days, weeks, months, years and virtually our lives?
The July/August 2010 Christian Woman magazine featured an article, “God Is in Control” by Diane Mauck and Janet Jenkins. They pointed to Jeremiah 18 to serve as a reminder of the One Who is in control of this world. In that chapter, the potter’s expert hands spun the clay, marred the clay, and then reformed it into a usable vessel. In the concluding paragraph of that section, sisters Mauck and Jenkins wrote, “God’s eternal existence, His control of history and time itself, is reaffirmed over and over in Scripture and is so designed as to allay fear. And yet, there is unrest and even fear among many today concerning the future of our nation.” That observation is as true today as it was in 2010. For Christians, Psalm 9:19-20 must be embraced and trusted. “Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight; put them in fear, O LORD, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.”
One other reflection on the plague of controlling fear comes from James M. Tolle in his book, Living Without Fear. He wrote:
No enemy of mankind has caused more misery and unhappiness than fear. In its devastating destruction and disintegration of personality and character, this major sin of humanity has plunged innumerable souls into a veritable [real and genuine] hell on earth. It cripples constructive effort; it produces confused and frantic minds; it results in sleepless, restless nights; it expresses itself in selfishness, thoughtlessness, and greed; it paralyzes the will; it destroys inner unity; it upsets physical health and shortens lives. It is first, last, and always a curse and blight on mankind.
Adam and Eve were the first to experience fear or being afraid. Fear was not in their vocabulary! This negative emotion became crystal clear when they disobeyed God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and of evil. God had commanded them not to do this and told them why—they would surely die. They vainly attempted to hide when confronted, and then, the perpetual blaming others began. Mankind has been plagued with fear since that day. Fear abounds from being “afraid of our own shadows” to fearing the end of the world.
The only kind of fear that God wants us to have is the spiritually healthy reverential fear of Him, His judgments and His Word. God expects those who submit to Him to do so with the highest respect and adoration that their spiritual mind and subsequent speech and behavior can express. The irrevocable truth of these passages is but a smidgen of that expectation throughout Scripture.
- “He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD” (Psalm 40:3).
- “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
- “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:26-27).
- “My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments” (Psalm 119:120).
Jesus said it best. “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him” (Luke 12:4-5).
The Bible overflows with passages and examples of the faithful who faced situations in their lives that caused them great fear. The space allotted for this article would not scratch the surface of the virtually countless accounts of those who had legitimate fears but absolutely refused to be controlled by them. So, what are we to do? Where are we to turn? When fear of any kind begins to grip our minds, our thoughts must immediately turn to Scripture.
- “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1-2).
- “I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
- “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear, what can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4).
- “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings [bad news]; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD” (Psalm 112:6-7).
- “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you by my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
By daily living in God’s Word, we will overcome all our fears.
