I heard a preacher this weekend make a very good statement. He said that fear can be measured by who you respond to. If the savings account gets low, some get nervous or sick and may even take tithe money to pay a bill. What are you telling God? If the job is laying people off, they fear that they are next and would do anything to stay. If a spouse threatens to walk out, they’re afraid and would do anything to keep that from happening. If challenged about faith in God, grace is said only in private, for some fear people and not God. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,” Matthew 10:28, KJV. What are you afraid of?
Fear stems from a form of unbelief, directly contrary to faith. When God says that he will supply all of our needs, He means it. If we have fear rooted in unbelief how can God move on our behalf? And pretending that we aren’t afraid isn’t going to make the fear go away. You have to identify those areas and deal with it directly. You can’t solve a problem unless you first admit that there is one. What are you afraid of?
Many are afraid of failure, so they never activate their potential. Fear of ridicule and chastisement. Often times others scorn because they themselves wish they had the boldness to attempt what you’ve been confident enough to do. What is there to really be afraid of? You never fail unless you stop trying to succeed. But many are held back by this paralyzing spirit. I’ve learned from the book of Job, that when consumed by fear, we subject ourselves for that very thing to consume us. “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me,” Job 3:25, KJV.
There have been numerous accounts of martyrs facing death for Christ, and without fear consuming them. I cannot say whether or not fear entered their minds, but I can take note of the outcome of them not succumbing to it. Just as Esther said when she decided to approach the king with her request—if I perish, I perish. I can honestly say that I am at that point now. I haven’t always been here, but I am now. I’m not saying that it is an easy thing to do, but admit that it is a necessary one. I found my faith.
Many have died for Christ’s sake, but we must remember that Christ died for all of us. And when standing on the promises and faith of God, what is there to fear? For the Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. When I came to understand that fear was demonic, it left me. I no longer shrunk in size to something I knew I could do. I’m no longer afraid of what may be lurking in the dark because I hear a noise or sense a movement. This does not mean that I’m not aware of my surroundings and potential danger, it just means that I rest in the Lord, knowing that whatever happens, He has all power in His hands.
“Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield,” Psalm 115:11, KJV
Additional Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:8
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