Why Are You Afraid?
When I was in the second grade, my teacher asked for a volunteer to run to the office and get some copies made for her. Seeing this as a chance to get out of class for a while, I eagerly raised my hand and was lucky enough to be picked.
Our school wasn't all that large, but with class in session, the hallways felt like my own domain. They were completely empty, and as I walked to the office, I did everything I could to make this little adventure last as long as possible.
On my way back to class, I rounded a corner, and there in the middle of the hallway was Billy, one of the school bullies, and for reasons known only to him, I was one of his favorite targets.
Billy was a grade ahead of me, and I did all I could each day to be where he was not. However, on this day, circumstances changed that quickly.
With just him and me in the hallway, he started to walk toward me and told me that he was going to beat me up. As he continued toward me with a scowl, I did what any second-grade boy would do . . . I froze and braced myself for what was to come.
I am not sure how much closer Billy got as he stared me down, but before he could get to me, my older sister and one of her friends rounded the corner. All of a sudden, Billy found himself outnumbered, and before I knew it, my sister's friend Peter was giving Billy a taste of his own medicine.
In a moment, I went from paralyzing fear to confidence.
I went from being afraid of Billy to feeling quite sure, due to my sister and her friends in high places, that I and any other of the school bullies would never have a problem again.
I felt secure!
Don’t Fear
We have all had moments of fear, and most are far more dire than a second-grade bully encounter.
But for those of us who claim Jesus Christ as savior, do we really need to fear at all?
The phrase "do not fear" or some version of it appears in Scripture over 365 times.
God told Abraham not to fear when he was old and childless, and the promise seemed impossible.
He told Joshua not to fear as he prepared to lead a nation into a land full of enemies.
He told Gideon not to fear when the odds were stacked against him.
He told Isaiah not to fear when He told him, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Over and over again, in situation after situation, God looks at His people in the middle of impossible circumstances and says the same thing…Do not be afraid!
This command did not mean that the circumstances were not real or that somehow the threats were not genuine. Of course they were.
But what made all the difference was God being with them.
And, here is the good news, HE IS WITH US TOO!
This fact alone should radically change our relationship with fear, anxiety, and worry. Yet, I often find myself in discussions with people who are riddled with fear.
Fear about politics, world events, AI, health scares, and the list goes on.
This isn’t only fear; it is a lack of faith in the one who over and over tells us to not be afraid.
So What Is The Alternative?
If God keeps telling us not to fear, it stands to reason He has something in mind to replace it with.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul delivers a brilliant blueprint for eliminating fear when he writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
What is so fascinating about these words is the place where Paul was writing his letter from. As Paul penned these words, he was in a Roman prison, chained and awaiting trial. This was in addition to some of his other experiences that included beatings, being shipwrecked, and being abandoned.
Any one of these would strike fear into anyone, yet Paul tells us that none of these things should invoke fear or anxiety.
Instead, Paul gives us the antidote to fear, and that is prayer.
Not positive thinking, meditation, SSRIs, or therapy - prayer.
He tells us to go to God and let Him know what we need and do it with thankful hearts.
Imagine if every time we face uncertainty or trials we went to God with thankful hearts and prayed, “God, give me the confidence I can only find in You, and take away any trace of fear because I know it is not from You!”
I know for certain that if we prayed this, God would then bless us with the “peace that surpasses all understanding”.
How do I know this? I lived it when I had my near-fatal stroke just 10 months ago. Not once during my ordeal did I feel fear or anxiety, because I had no need for it.
But Wait, There Is More!
When my new best friend Peter took care of Billy the Bully, not only was I no longer afraid; in that moment I felt like I could have taken on the entire school! With my sister and Peter as my guardians, there was no stopping me.
The same applies to us!
In the book of Romans, Paul poses this question:"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
This does not mean I won’t face hard times. It does not mean that I will not suffer loss. It does not mean that life will always be a steady trajectory upwards and come with its own form of an easy button.
What it does mean is that no matter what we may face, we have no need to worry or fear because the Creator and God of the universe is in our corner and will take care of all of life’s bullies in the process.
Paul then goes a step further in his assurance when he writes that we are “more than conquerors” because of our relationship to Christ and then doubles down to make sure all the bases are covered when he writes. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This truth by itself eradicates all fear!
We Know How This Ends
I am a huge sports fan, and I have recently gotten into the habit of recording games and starting them an hour late so I can fast-forward through the commercials. I was watching one of these recorded games recently when a friend texted and inadvertently gave away the ending.
While he took all suspense away, I did find a certain peace knowing that in the end my team won. There was no stress, no worrying when there was a man on third and no outs; I knew that no matter what came across the screen, my team won.
We can walk in the same confidence, because God's Word tells us how it ends.
God wins, and because of our adoption as His sons and daughters, so do we.
So why are you so afraid?
Running the race with you,
Carlos
This edition was first published in The Life Design Newsletter on LinkedIn.