We all can get scared at times. As someone who is easily scared, it's important to remember things to help you in your moments of fear. What might be scary for me might not be scary for you, and what might be scary for you might not be scary to me.
Since all of us have our own fears, it's important for us to know what to do when we are feeling frightened. Here are three truths to remember when you are scared.
1. God Will Never Leave You
I recently was scared while I was taking my daily walk. At the moment, my only thought was to turn around in the opposite direction.
As much as I would like to say it was something extremely terrifying, it wasn't. It was a goose who was walking quite quickly and was making loud noises, almost as though it was angry.
This might sound childish to many individuals and it's kind of silly now that I think about it, but at the time, it was extremely scary to me.
My thoughts went directly to, "That goose is going to try to hurt me." Maybe you have something similar, albeit not an intimidating goose, quickly approaching you.
Whether we are scared by something major or minor, we need to remember that God never leaves us. Hebrews 13:5b says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Since this is true, we can know with certainty that God will never leave us. It is true that others will leave us, yet God never will. He promises to be with us always, and nothing can separate us from His love.
If you are feeling scared, try to memorize Hebrews 13:5b and keep it at the front of your mind throughout the day. Whenever you feel you are giving into fear, recite this verse and reflect on it. Allow it to fill your heart with the peace of God and the perfect love He has for you.
There will be a day in the future when you never have to fear again. This will be realized when you are with the Lord. Look forward to that day with joy, knowing that you will be with Him and there will no longer be any fear.
2. God Will Walk with You Through Every Season of Life
A second truth to remember when you are afraid is that God will walk with you through every season of life (Psalm 23). In Psalm 23, God promises to walk with us through every hill and valley.
From our best days to our worst days, God is with us. Even though God doesn't promise to take us out of hard times, He does promise that He will be with us through these difficult times.
Maybe you suffered a job loss, a foreclosure notice, or the death of a loved one; know that God is walking with you through this season of life. It can be easy to push God away in these times, but I encourage you to actually draw closer to Him in these times.
Ask Him to help you with this grief, and don't be afraid to let Him see your real emotions. God wants us to come to Him with every emotion, feeling and thought.
He wants to know what is going on in our hearts and minds. God truly loves you, and He will walk with you through this difficult season.
There could be something in your life that is preventing you from trusting God with this season in your life because of a broken promise in the past. Maybe your mom, dad, or sibling didn't extend the love you needed as a child, and this resulted in believing you are alone.
Trust in the promise that God does care about you and He will never abandon you. Others may have abandoned you or hated you when they should have loved you; however, God doesn't work like that.
Instead, God loves you so much, and His love is shown in staying by your side, never leaving, and comforting you in your fears.
3. God Loves You Unconditionally
A third truth to remember when you are scared is that God loves you unconditionally (John 3:16-17). God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for your sins in order for you to be given forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life.
We can rest in the peace of knowing that no matter what happens in our earthly life if we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have nothing to fear.
Nothing is too big or too scary for God because He created all things. We don't need to be scared of death or the future because God is in control.
The future can be frightening because it's out of our control, yet we can trust the one who is holding the future in His Hands. In the same way, we don't have to fear death because Jesus has defeated death on the cross.
If we know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we have the promise we will spend eternity with Him. While it is true that bad things will happen in our earthly lives, it is nothing compared to the joy we will have when we are in heaven.
All of us are scared of something, yet through the love of God, we don't have to be afraid. Whether we are scared of thunderstorms, the dark, or living life alone, we can trust that God is always there with us.
Even if we don't feel God with us, we can know He is always there because God isn't a feeling. He loves us, and He promises to be with us through every minute of our lives.
Addressing Fears
What is your biggest fear? Think about it and write it in your journal. After writing down your biggest fear, list the reasons why you are afraid in bullet points underneath the fear.
Once you have listed the reasons why you are afraid of the fear, choose either Hebrews 13:5b, Psalm 23, or John 3:16-17 to write above the fear.
Each time you are tempted to give way to the fear, remind yourself of one of these passages of Scripture.
By returning your mind back to the Lord's Word, you will be able to renew your mind and refresh your spirit. None of us like being scared, yet it is something that will happen throughout our lives.
If we are properly prepared when fears strike us, and we have a plan of turning to God's Word when we are scared, it will help comfort us. We can also turn to God in prayer when we are frightened, and He can comfort us with His love.
No matter what fears you are experiencing today, know that God is with you, He will never leave you, and He loves you. People in our lives can often let us down, abandon us, or hurt us, but God never will.
We can always count on Him, and He will never let us down. It's unrealistic to never be scared again, yet, through taking the proper steps, we can ease our frightened hearts and turn back to the steady love, peace, and tranquility of the Lord.
For further reading:
Do We Put Our Trust in God When We Are Afraid?
Should Christians Fear Oblivion?
What Does Faith Over Fear Really Mean?
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