Fear, or Faith?

I was doing it again, allowing fear to well up in me threatening to choke the joy and faith right out of me. Fear of what? The uncertain, the unknown; the what-ifs. I didn’t want my loved ones experiencing hurt, or heartbreak, or hardship. I’d been there. The hurt? No fun. The heartbreak? No party either. And the hardship? Not a picnic. The seasons for some of those experiences had been long and dry and painful. I wished it on no one, especially those I cared most for.

But then the Psalmist convicted me of my way of thinking. He declared, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now I have kept Thy Word.” And again, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes.” “I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Let Thy merciful kindness be my comfort.” (Psalm 119: 67, 71, 75)

Experiencing the affliction that God allowed, or even brought my way in correction, was what shaped and molded me, pricked my heart and made me tender to Him and His ways, drove me to my knees and to His Word. It helped strengthen me in my faith and built my confidence in who He is and in His great faithfulness. Because of past difficulties I am more aware of Satan’s tactics. I am more confident in the God I serve. Did I want to take that from my children, from those I love that would value these principals and experiences as much as I do? I don’t think so. But that meant trusting them to God. My own heart I had trusted him with. Now I must trust Him with theirs. I could not fear that they may have to go through seasons of pain or heartbreak. For if they did, the Father would be there for them as He was for me.

Fear is an incredible emotion. With me, it creeps in unawares and wraps itself around my heart, and when I am most vulnerable, begins to squeeze and tighten its grip. It can attack at the most unforeseen moments, masking itself behind a number of other feelings...uncertainty, insecurity, discouragement, even fatigue. It takes the quiet voice of the Spirit of God, speaking to the heart that will listen, to see faith put fear to flight.

Fear suffocates. It paralyzes. It attacks and weakens faith. What it does not and cannot do is weaken the faithfulness of God and the power of His Word. So when fear rears its ugly head, the Scripture is my place of refuge. Even when I am unable to immediately release to my Father the fear I am experiencing in my situation, as I open my heart to Him, God is faithful to minister grace and quiet my heart, bringing me back to a place of greater trust in Him.

Fear often is hiding behind the unexpected. Perhaps it’s because with the unexpected there is a loss of control. A feeling of helplessness only takes seconds to sink into. But He is faithful, and I am grateful. To trust is to actively believe God, acknowledging and accepting His faithfulness to His Word on behalf of His children.

Fear, yes, is an amazing thing. But faith is even more amazing. It allows the hand of a loving, all-wise, all-powerful Savior to reach down and take hold in the weakest moment, lifting the fearful heart to God Himself. Faith conquers fear. Not great faith, but faith in a great God.

“Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief.” (Mark 9: 24)