What is fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Fear is a tool the devil uses against us to make us miserable and keep us from God’s will in our lives. Satan wants us to walk in fear, but God wants us to walk in faith. Faith such as knowing God is for us and not against us. That God wants what is best for us. And that he will turn all things around for our good and his glory if we only trust and have faith in him. In this article I want to share with you the different types of fear we have, some examples of fear in the bible, and how we can fight against fear using 2 Timothy 1:7.
FEARS THAT WE FACE
Every person faces certain fears that are common to everyone. For instance:
Fearing poverty. Fearing bill collectors, creditors, and the possibility of bankruptcy.
Fearing death
Fear of becoming ill or experiencing pain and suffering
Fearing the loss of a loved one
Fearing old age. Not being able to do what we once could
Fear of what others may think of us
And there are also many emotions that we experience in our lives that are linked to fear as well such as:
Greed – which is the fear of not having enough
Rejection – which is the fear of not being accepted
Indecision – which is the fear of making the wrong choice
All we have to do is watch the news to see terrifying things happening around the world. But God’s word says we are to live without fear. So how can we stay calm in the midst of it all?
HAVING A HEALTHY FEAR AND AN UNHEALTHY FEAR
We should all have healthy fears. Healthy fear is for our protection. Like the fear of touching a hot stove or starting a new job. Healthy fear is short lived- as soon as the threat has passed, the fear begins to diminish.
Then you have unhealthy fear. Unhealthy fears can become a problem and can turn into high-functioning anxiety. The apostle Paul warned Timothy of unhealthy fear.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Fear robs us of hope and when we no longer have hope we give into deep despair and depression. Fear that is not healed by God becomes pervasive, spreading to all areas of our life. When this happens we need the love and wise counsel of a godly person. And many of us will need the help of prescription drugs and our family doctor in order to get the fear under control.
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EXAMPLES OF FEAR IN THE BIBLE
There are many stories in the bible of people experiencing fear. A few examples would be:
Job suffered anxiety and fear due to the many personal losses he faced.
David feared for his life due to King Saul. David wrote about all his fears in the book of Psalms. Although he was known as “a man after God’s own heart” he still had a lot of fear.
Moses had feared going to Egypt and confronting the Pharoh. He tried to tell God that he wasn’t the man for the job. But God insisted and Moses obeyed.
The spies of Israel were afraid of the Nephilim’s great size. And they warned Moses and the other Israelites of them. Israel was too afraid to conquer the Nephilim’s land and that led to another 40 years of wandering in the desert.
HOW DO WE CALM OUR FEARS?
Remember Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7?
2 Timothy 1:7 says, For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
That verse will be our formula to help us deal with the negative emotion of fear. Let’s take a deeper look at the verse.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but (a spirit) of power……
First, we need to claim God’s power within us. God gave us the Holy Spirit as a gift when we became believers. The Holy Spirit is there to help us and guide us while we are on this earth until the return of Jesus.
God’s spirit is the Holy Spirit. So that means God dwells within us. And since God’s spirit dwells within us, he has given us his strength and power.
Take a look at 2 Timothy 1:6. Paul tells Timothy to “fan into flame” the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Paul is telling Timothy to ignite or stir up the gift of God. He is reminding Timothy of the gift God gave him, the gift of the Holy Spirit. We need to be reminded of that gift as well. We need to ask God to ignite the flame of the Holy Spirit and give us his power that dwells within us.
a (spirit) of love…..
Second, we are to ask God to show us his love. God is love. You can not have God’s spirit in you and have fear. When you remain in God and God in you, you are carrying his nature of love. When you love God and others around you, you will not be afraid of what man can do to you because God lives in you. Let his perfect love cast out fear (1 John 4: 17-18).
and a (spirit) of self-discipline (sound mind or self-control).
Last, we are to ask God for a sound mind that is filled with his word. The more we know of God’s word and commandments the greater we will be able to withstand fear. Jesus used God’s word to fight the devil while he was being tempted in the desert. So we need to use God’s word to fight fear. Isaiah 41:10 is a good verse to repeat out loud when you are fearful.
Isaiah 41: 10 says, Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
CONCLUSION
So in conclusion when we are gripped with fear we need to look upon God and ask for his power, his love, and his word to fill our minds. We need to feed on his word daily, love God and others around us, and obey his commandments. Keeping close to the Lord in prayer and dwelling on his word is the only way we are going to be able to conquer fear.
Side note: Here is something to think about. I read somewhere that the acrostic of FEAR means False..Evidence..Appearing..Real.
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