Saying No to Fear and Yes to God
By Aaron D’Anthony Brown
Bible Reading
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
The Fear That Binds Us
Have you ever wanted more for someone so much that you wish you could, through some superpower, control them and guide them toward something better? A better relationship, a better job, a better future. If that’s just me, then perhaps that’s my selfishness showing. Nonetheless, I do have a relative I care for dearly, one who didn’t go back to school in January because she said college wasn’t for her. Instead, she was going to work, but here she is, eight months later, doing nothing. She’s at home day in and day out. Why? She says social anxiety holds her back. Despite being young, capable, and very talented, a fear of the unknown holds her back from a job. And worse, from a future.
Whether she’s afraid of what people might say or do, I don’t know, but she doesn’t want me to criticize her. She doesn’t want criticism from anyone on the matter. I could easily look down on her behavior and the parents who enable it, and often I do, but her fear reminds me of what I encounter from others too. A fear I have experienced even within myself.
For one reason or another, we all find fears to justify. We tell ourselves not to apply for certain opportunities. We decide not to have important conversations. We keep ourselves from making what would ultimately be beneficial decisions.
The Bible mentions fear dozens of times from beginning to end. If you’re no stranger to Scripture, then you know that the Israelites often gave into this emotion. They thought God abandoned them, that they would succumb to their enemies, that the Lord would let them go hungry, and more. For each fear, they had what they felt were ostensibly valid reasons.
Like them, we too find reasons to doubt God in our own lives. What’s crazy is that our reasons seem so real and logical to us. Yet, those who hear about the fear often disagree. The same applies when the roles are reversed. We hear someone tell us why they are afraid and we can’t help but think their perspective is limited, that they just aren’t taking into account the omnipotence of God.
So, how exactly do we break free of the fear that binds us? Just as the Israelites provide an example of why we fear in the first place, we can also look at them and discover ways to break free from fear by finding confidence in God.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
If fear is slavery, then confidence in God brings us freedom. Here are three ways we can defeat our fears today.
Defeat Fear through Prayer
When we’re afraid, complaining and grumbling against God aren’t too difficult to manage. The Israelites did their fair share of complaining, too, which greatly displeased God. But let’s be honest, how often do we do the same? Instead of dwelling on the negative thoughts, we benefit ourselves and bring honor to God by choosing to pray instead. Submit yourself to Him. Seek His strength. And watch as the fear eventually fades away.
Defeat Fear through Community
When the Israelites constructed a golden calf to replace God, they were sinning as a community. When they chose to honor God through song, sacrifice, and ceremony, they were honoring God as a community. When we link up with other people, we can find ourselves doing bad things, worse than we would otherwise, but when we link up and our hearts and centered on God, the opposite is true. We honor Him and strive for more virtue than would be possible alone. Moreover, we find the motivation and accountability to overcome the fear that so easily ensnares us.
Defeat Fear through Reminders
One reason fear is such a common theme in the Bible is that fear is so basic to the human experience. All the way from Adam hiding in the garden to the various things we hide from today. Yet, just as commonplace as the scary things seem to be, we can make finding godly confidence commonplace, too. We do that by giving ourselves reminders of God’s work in our lives.
When the Israelites needed to be reminded of God, and when they wanted to pray, they could go to the tabernacle. We can view the church in a similar fashion, but we can also find for ourselves other reminders. Some people post Scriptures to their wall or mirror that help them overcome fears. Some people make a daily plan to read Scripture or journal.
The what is not as important as the why. Whatever you do, do it to ultimately say no to fear and yes to God.
Further Reading:
2 Timothy 1:7
Psalm 34:4
Proverbs 29:25
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/kieferpix
Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Related Resource: Bold Prayers: Asking God to Reveal the Roots of Our Anxiety
Sometimes, anxiety can hit without any recognizable provocation, or our anxiety can feel more intense than the situation warrants. When we find ourselves in that place, we can pray the prayer ancient Israel's second king, David, prayed at the end of Psalm 139, trusting that our God will and is leading us to increased freedom. Listen in to this episode of Faith Over Fear and have your mind and heart fixed on the truth you need for your day! If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
