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The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear (Hebrews 13:6, NLT).
I have fears; we all have fears.
The Greek word for fear is “phobia.” And fears can become incessant phobias.
The definition of the Greek word “phobia” includes thoughts of terror, hiding, and fleeing. That’s what we do with fear – instead of facing a fear, we hide from it or deny it or sometimes just run away.
There is a solution to fear. It is faith in Jesus.
In the New Testament, when Jairus, a synagogue leader, heard that his daughter had died, Jesus said to him, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith!” If faith can take away the fear of death, then it can carry all our fears.
Here is what Jesus does if we have faith:
- He forgives our sins so that we don’t have to live in guilt and condemnation (Romans 8:1).
- He gives us peace that can overwhelm any fear. Scripture gives us the confidence of deliverance from fear (Psalm 34:4-5 and Philippians 4:7).
- He enables hope for total and complete healing (Psalm 23:4).
Personally, I’m learning to identify fear as soon as it starts creeping into my thoughts. Overcoming fear isn’t a “once and done” spiritual feat. We will deal with differing fears throughout our lives.
Why? Because we learn to cast our fears on Jesus and not deal with them by ourselves (1 Peter 5:6-7).
Peer pressure in school, getting married, starting a new job, raising children, and thoughts of illness as we age – all bring fears that weave in and out of our lives. We must constantly guard our thoughts against fear.
I’m older now. And I fear not having enough money to finish my life. I hear others my age express this same fear.
In my devotions one morning, the Lord caused me to recall that He provided in the early years of my ministry as I served Him without salary. I remembered the Lord’s provision when paying tuition for my children in a Christian school and later in college. That He provided the expenses for dozens of short-term mission trips. I saw miracle after miracle of financial blessing in my life.
The Lord has said to me several times, “I’ve taken care of your needs for decades. I’m not going to stop now.”
Amen! I believe He wants to say this to all of us.
In my fight against fear, I’ve learned two things:
First, I can sense the fear creeping around. I feel it coming into my feelings and thoughts. The evil one does prowl about, seeking to devour my peace.
Second, I say as soon as I sense a fear, “This thought, this fear, is not of God. In the name of Jesus, ‘Go away!’”
We can win our battle against fear.
The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1, NLT).
Remember, “Fear, go away, in the name of Jesus!”