Fear is a Terrible Friend
I have struggled with fear most of my life. These fears have run the gamut in terms of being logical to being completely off the wall. Even at a young age, I remember my thoughts swirling around all the scary possibilities of what could happen.
Can you relate? Do you find yourself imagining tragic events and physically feeling the heartbreak of the potential impact? It is horribly, isn’t it?
Having this voice of fear in my head is like having a horrible friend speaking disaster and trauma over my life. I don’t need this and neither do you. It is a terrible use of our imagination and needs to be kept in check.
Turn up Love
For the longest time, my favorite scripture has been 1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Once I found this scripture it became my touchstone in times of fear. I would use this scripture to remind me that God is love and there is no fear for us in Him. When we let His perfect love push out the fears within us, we can be free from the punishment that it brings into our hearts.
God has taken care of all that ignites our fears. His love and provision cover any catastrophe that we imagine or that actually takes place. If we believe in Jesus, then our hearts should not be afraid. We can cast our fears on Him and He will make a way.
Fear Will Come
Clinging to this scripture, or any other scripture, is not a prescription for a fear-free life. We are talking about something we feel that God placed within us to help us navigate dangerous situations…like bear attacks.
The problem develops when the fear keeps us from trusting God with all the good and the bad. We start living more in fear instead of hope and trust and begin to rely on our own understanding and abilities.
When fear creeps up, remember who God is in every circumstance. God is good on the hills and He is good in the valleys. I know it is hard to meditate on this but look back over your life and relish all the ways God has led you through the unpredictable terrain of life.
To help you take this a bit deeper, I have created a few tools for you. Take what works for you and leave the rest.
Tools to Defeat Fear:
- Instead of focusing on how big your fear is, focus on how big your God is!
- Find a scripture that combats your fears. Write this down on a sticky note and carry it with you to reference throughout the day.
- Talk to a trusted friend about your fear. Sometimes verbalizing the fear sheds light on it and makes it much less scary.
Praying this was a blessing to you and a helpful tool for finding rest in Him.