“Please take this down to the recyclable basket,” I asked my young son as I handed him the plastic bottle. He took the bottle as he swallowed hard and choked back his tears. He took a step in the right direction then stopped and hollered at me, “I can’t, I’m scared!” The recyclable basket was located in our basement, and this night was dark and cold. Though the basement is clean and carpeted with plenty of possible lights along the way, my son had a fear that overrode the facts. He was afraid and that’s all that he cared to consider. As adults, we also have fears, and as Christians, fear can affect our walk with our Lord. Yet, as His disciples, we need not be slaves to fear. Romans 8:15 states, “For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
One way fear can affect our walk with the Lord is that fear keeps us frozen. Have you ever found yourself in a situation with which you knew you were unhappy, but due to fear you made no change? This could be with your job, a relationship, where you live, your health or any number of situations. Perhaps you are in a place where sin in present, and yet you make no change for you fear the future. Second Timothy 1:7 states, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind.” Maybe you are afraid to make a decision, fearing you will make the wrong choice. God has given us the ability to make choices. Don’t let fear keep you frozen! Make that change that you know you should make.
A second way that fear affects our walk with the Lord is that fear fights our faith. Fear causes us to doubt. We doubt ourselves, we doubt that God can do it, we doubt our success, we doubt our abilities or we doubt God will care. Fear is a lack of confidence, a lack of faith. David, in Psalm 27, has written a beautiful declaration of his faith. David had much to fear, yet he relied on God, and David kept his faith. David had confidence that God would help him in his time of need (Psalm 9:9). Don’t let fear cripple your faith. Bust the shackles of fear, and have faith in God! Jesus said , “…if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
A final way that fear affects our walk with our Lord is that fear forfeits our future. When a person lets fear keep him or her frozen and gobble up one’s faith, a better future is forfeited. One will never know how much better a situation can be if he or she doesn’t cast out fear. One will forfeit experiencing God’s protection, love and providence while remaining in fear. A beautiful future awaits; a new start can begin. One doesn’t need to be afraid if God is his or her helper. In Hebrews 13:5-6 God has said He will never leave us or forsake us. What a comfort it is to know that God cares for His children and has blessings in store for each one!
Fear knows no age bracket; it knows no gender, no race and no nationality. Fear will freeze whomever it can catch, fight anyone’s faith and replace it with doubt and forfeit any positive future. Don’t let fear negatively affect your walk with God. Live as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 62:8, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Amen and Amen!
