Break Free From Fear

Being afraid – it’s one of the only things every person on the planet has in common. We all feel afraid at some point, and for some of us we might even feel fear every single day.

If you’ve been a Christian or in the church for a while, there’s a good chance you know this next part:

You aren’t meant to live in fear.

But, you aren’t alone in your fears. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, was afraid. 

In 2 Samuel 6, David moved the Ark of the Covenant in a way that didn’t match the law – instead of having Levites carry it, he had a cart made. Well, the cart faltered and a man died as a result. Witnessing the consequences of his mistakes, David becomes afraid of God.

Now, this isn’t “fear of the Lord,” which means awe, respect and humble admiration of God. He was afraid and fearful, and believed the Lord was dangerous and meant pain.

But, that isn’t God. He desires our holiness. We don't have to be afraid of God or of the trials of this life.

I don’t mean that as a blanket statement or to make you feel bad for being afraid. As a military spouse and a mother, I feel fear and anxiety regularly. 

But, we aren’t meant to stay in our fear.

I was recently listening to a podcast where the guest was talking about how to find freedom from fear. He pointed out that we fear because we don’t believe that, as Christians, we are everlasting. We look at ourselves and go into fight-or-flight mode to protect our finite bodies.

But, as Christians, we have eternal souls that are sealed by Jesus.

This guest went on to point out that all fear is learned. So, it would stand to reason that we can unlearn fear. God designed us with neuroplasticity, so we can rewire our brains for the better.

How do we learn to overcome fear with faith? One small step at a time.

God desires our honesty. Start by naming your fears and telling God what you are afraid of.

“God, I’m afraid of financial struggle.”

“God, I’m afraid of dying.”

“God, I’m afraid of failing at school.”

When we are afraid, we’re believing the lie that God can’t handle the things we fear. It’s important to name the things we fear and to stop hiding our anxieties, fears and doubts from Him.

After you name your fears to God, ask God to show you who you are. What does He think about you? Who does He say that you are? 

We all have promises that apply to us as Christians, but there are also unique and individual characteristics that apply to our identities. Ask God to show you your identity in Him.

Then ask God to change your heart.

When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, He said:

“I will make you to become fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

Jesus promises to make them become what they were meant to be. Jesus keeps His promises and empowers us to be part of them. Just as we learned to be afraid of something, we can learn to become unafraid of that thing. 

We can learn to become an overcomer, fearless, trusting in God. 

Bolster what God says about your identity with Biblical encouragement. Over and over again, God reminds His people that they need not be afraid and that He will teach them to be more like Him. Jesus came to this world and died for our sins so we could overcome fear and live in eternity with Him. Hold fast to His promises.