A Study on Fear
By: Matt Dowdell
Why do Christians fear? That is a question that I ask myself more than often. What do we have to fear? The answer is….NOTHING. We have nothing to fear. Who was it who said “We have nothing to fear but fear itself?” Whoever it was, they were more right than they could ever know…..
Why did God banish the Israelites to the desert for 40 years after plaguing the Egyptians to death to get them set free? It was because they feared. Instead of doing what God told them to do they ran away in fear. If they had anything to fear it would be fear itself.
Christians today, including myself, fear too much. We fear humiliation, not being accepted, and we fear the simple fact of just what people might think if they knew. Remember the song by DC Talk – “What would people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus Freak, what will people do when they find out its true.” Well, let me tell you something, fear is something Satan instills in you to keep you from being an efficient tools of God. He doesn’t care if you go to church or if you hang out in Bible school all the time. As long as you leave it there and don’t introduce Jesus to the world. That’s where fear comes in. By making you afraid he keeps everything contained. Then he doesn’t have to worry about you making the unbelieving the believing.
Just consider all of the things that Jesus couldn’t have done if he was afraid. Fear is a weakness that Christians can’t afford to have. Because Jesus died and rose, we have no fear. For it is written “many will rise against you but they will all stumble and fall”.
Psalms 91:2 says: I say of the lord you are my refuge, my fortress, my God in who I trust.
Daniel once said “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (Daniel 3:17) You can tell he had no fear when he told this to King Nebuchadnezzar, and that he wasn’t about to give in to the kings demands. Daniel had true and absolute faith. He knew God would save him, so he had nothing to fear.
Psalms 91:11 says: He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all ways. Why should we fear knowing this?
Isaiah 40:31 says: But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles they will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint.
One verse that helps me push through many hard times and hard situations would be Philippians 4:13 which says: I can do all things through He who gives me strength.
Going in to this coming school year I want you to remember these verses. Try not to fear. I know its hard, I face many of the same things you do. Everyday Pray for yourself and your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Pray that they can journey with a joyful heart and that they are able to keep the faith. You have to keep the faith it is the only way to make it. Jesus said “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed you could tell a mountain move from here to there and it will do so”. Have you ever seen a mustard seed? They are tiny. Jesus was saying that if we just believe with the smallest absolute faith that we can do anything. Build your faith and keep it as pure as you can. Only with faith can you truly serve the Lord. I will pray for you all as I hope you will pray for me.
I would like to close with one more thing – “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. Whether we live or dies we are the Lord’s” – The Apostle Paul (Romans 14:8)
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