Don’t Be Afraid

In today’s episode we’re going to explore how to overcome fear.

Life is full of fears. I’m not talking about phobias like the fear of spiders or a fear of heights. I’m talking about the kind of fears and anxiety that keeps us awake at night—the nagging fears that rob us of peace and happiness. Fear is like worry except that fear is worry on steroids. We can worry about many things, but when worry turns to fear, that’s when it becomes a real problem.       

We fear not having enough money and not being able to pay the rent or get the car fixed or pay the doctor bills. We fear for our children. We want our children to stay safe and grow up to have a good life, but we know the teenage years are fraught with dangerous temptations.  The worries and cares of life can sometimes be overwhelming.

To make matters worse, politicians tell us we should be afraid. They tell us to fear global warming. They tell us we should be afraid of China and Russia. They tell us to be afraid of illegal immigration and Islamic radicals. These are real threats, and politicians have a duty to warn us of these threats, but some people become fearful and as a result, they live their lives in fear.

I want to suggest that you don’t live in fear. When Moses led the people of Israel into the Promised Land, he told them to not be afraid. Moses said:

When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. . . Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory (Deuteronomy 20:1-4).

God wants you to overcome your fear with faith. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).” Does this mean that you should bury your head in the sand and pretend that there is nothing to fear? No. Jesus warns us about life’s dangers, and then he says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”

God wants us to face life’s challenges with faith and hope. Instead of fear we must have hope. Hope is stronger than fear. Hope is like the sun that rises over the horizon sending rays of light to dispel the darkness. Clouds may threaten to obscure the sun, but the sun is always there shining strong and bright. Eventually, the clouds will pass and dissipate revealing the sun in all its blazing glory. That’s hope. Hope keeps us going even when the clouds of fear arrive.

What is hope? It depends if you’re talking about earthly hope or heavenly hope. Earthly hope is like wishful thinking. When we go to the beach, we hope to have good weather. That’s earthly hope. Earthly hope is a contingent hope. Earthly hope is dependent on favorable circumstances. A hope built on circumstances is a hope that can be dashed to pieces leaving us disappointed and cynical.

Heavenly hope is much more than wishful thinking. Heavenly hope is confident expectation. When we have confidence, there is no doubt about the outcome.

This definition of hope, however, is incomplete. It’s incomplete because it needs an object. What do I mean? Hope is like faith. Hope and faith are two sides of the same coin. Both hope and faith need an object. In other words, you must put your hope and faith in something or someone. You need to hope in something.

Maybe you put your hope and faith in your job. You think: “As long as I have this job and the money I get from this job, everything will be fine.” Maybe you have faith in the government. Maybe you think the government will protect you and provide Social Security. Having a job and a reliable income is important, but what if you lose your job? The government may decide to take away your Social Security or it may not be able to protect you. The problem with putting your trust in a job, or in money, or in the government is that they can change. They can be taken away. The only thing that doesn’t change is God. God is constant. God is permanent. God doesn’t change. The Bible says: “I the Lord do not change (Malachi 3:6).”

We should not hope in anything other than God because eventually, when the thing we hope in disappears, we’ll be disappointed. There is only one sure place in which to hope. Your hope and trust must be in God and in God alone. God alone is constant. Everything else is subject to change.

God wants you to trust him. God wants you to put your hope in him. God wants to take away your fear.

So how can you get rid of your fears? How do you replace fear with hope? You can replace your fear with hope by following these simple steps:

First, make sure you have a personal relationship with God. You must get to know God. The first step in having a personal relationship with God is to believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Believe that Jesus died on the cross to forgive your sins. Ask Jesus to forgive you and put your faith in Jesus to give you new life.

Second, grow in your faith. Through prayer and reading the Bible you can build and strengthen your relationship with God. Take a few minutes every day to talk to God in prayer and read his word the Bible.

Third, attend a good, Bible-believing church and attend church every Sunday.

Finally, believe that God will help you overcome your fears and anxiety. The Bible says:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

When you find that you are worried and this worry nags at you and prevents you from having peace and happiness, tell God about it. Tell God what you’re afraid of and ask God to take away your fears and give you his peace. Believe that God is with you. Believe that God will help you overcome your fears. Don’t be afraid.