Look out, look around, and look up
A woman was arguing with a pastor. “Don’t tell me that worrying does no good!” she said. “I worry about a lot of things, and look-- most of them never happen!” We might chuckle about the woman’s off-kilter conclusion, but we know we are often right there with her. As yesterday’s comments noted, the question for Christians is this: If we have fears, what do we do next?
We can be certain that God wants to address our fears. From Genesis to Revelation, Bible people in all types of situations heard God say “Fear not.” After we acknowledge our fears, we should receive God’s antidotes and answers for fear, too. Here are four suggestions:--Fear and faith-- The disciples of Jesus faced great danger during a storm at sea and wondered whether He even cared about them. The Lord calmed the storm around them but also addressed the storm within them: “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Faith in the Lord can displace our fears because it tells us that God knows, He cares, He is never taken by surprise, and He is always able to do something.
--Fear and love-- “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:17). This passage emphasizes God’s love for His people as well as the love we should show one another. Revel in God’s love for you! Look how much He has been willing to do to save you and preserve you. And then be intentional about showing love, because unconditional love can overcome anxiety and fear.
--Fear and peace-- In John 20, the Lord’s disciples were together in a locked house because of external fears (sound familiar?). Then the resurrected Jesus came to them! His first words were, “Peace be with you.” He did not eliminate the cause of their fears but gave a blessing to stabilize them. The God of the Bible is the God of peace, and “when He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?” (Job 34:29).
--Fear and joy-- At the first Christmas, when the shepherds saw heaven’s angel, they were filled with fear; but the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10). He went on to tell them that the Savior had been born! There is no greater reason for joy than God’s arrival upon earth to deal with our greatest need; and that joy can be more powerful than fear.
Some say there are 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible. That would be nice-- one for every day of the year-- but in my studies I can’t really find a way to support it. Yet there are definitely more than 100 “Fear nots” from God Himself! (There are others, but not 200 more; and some even came from wicked people who were faking it.)
Don’t be sad if the 365 figure is wrong. There are many biblical ways to answer our fears; and even one good “Fear not” can last a long time if we trust the God who said it.
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