FEAR NOT

What is fear? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it _"as an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger"_ . Firstly, I will lay down some of the characteristics of fear, and then I will proceed forward to combating it and taking it head on. Fear is a crippling emotion. It is quite possibly the most negative emotion one can experience. The person who has fear can’t think well and his functionality gets paralyzed. Fear clouds our judgment, it brings us heaviness and debilitates our rationality. There are many forms and types of fear termed as phobias where people fear different things ranging from the common fear of heights to a quite unusual fear of being out of mobile contact.
Fear, for sure is terrible, but not all fear is bad. A reverential fear towards God, a healthy fear before an important exam are some examples of good anxiety. The enemy uses fear to his advantage. He attacks our mind with negative thoughts, fearful speculations and endless doubts. But know that though those thoughts look like they are permanent, they are one hundred percent temporary and they fade away soon. The Lord Jesus Christ encourages us to not feel intimidated by anything. He says, “Which of you can add an hour to his life by worrying ?”( Matthew 6:27). Worry is worship to the devil. We are called to worship the LORD alone and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. By being fearful, anxious and worrying over things we can't control, we inadvertently lose our ability to worship God in spirit and in truth. We ought to fear God only, and not worry or fear about anything or anyone else. We human beings fear something or the other. We feel threatened by one thing or the other. This is where our God and man are different. God cannot feel fear. Nor can He feel intimidated, for He is El- Shaddai(All-Powerful). The Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ was revealed in flesh in the earth and though He was fully human, there isn’t one instance recorded in the Holy Bible where He felt fear. He was totally fearless.

Yes, my beloved, God is beyond fear and that’s the reason only he can help us. God is love. His perfect love drives out fear ( 1 John 4:18).

Fear is indeed ubiquitous among humans, but the good news is we don’t have to continually live in fear. There is redemption and hope. Fear indeed can be defeated, pinned down and won over. Yes, the antidote to fear is faith. And that kind of faith is found in the Living Word of the Living God. We need to speak faith, speak life, speak God’s word, and His Unstoppable Power will do the rest. The Holy Bible emboldens us not to fear 366 times, which is exactly the number of days in a year inclusive of the leap year. God says in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.

The Holy Bible is replete with examples of God helping fearful people come out of their fears and anxieties. Gideon was fearful, God delivered Him; Peter walked on water, but suddenly fear gushed into his heart and God delivered him; Mary was afraid when she saw the angel Gabriel and the angel said “Fear not”; The same with Daniel and Zechariah who were also visited by angels and they both were given the same words, “Fear not”. Yes, though these two words appear redundant in the Holy Bible, they carry such weight and power and God reiterates and reinforces us that He is in full control. Nothing escapes His notice. Yes, my beloved, God reminds us and encourages us to live with freedom without fear. We ought to fill our minds with the Word of God and put on the armor of God and boldly resist the devil. If we resist him, he will flee and no fear is necessary.

Finally, I would like to conclude with a powerful verse which adds more impetus to the topic we are discussing. It consummates and encapsulates the entire topic. That is,” For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self- control(2 Timothy 1:7)”. So, let us bear in mind this verse and always acknowledge this fact and rely on God knowing that with Him on our side, nothing can shake us. Shalom.