To Know God is to Know Fear- and Have No Fear

Everyone...young and old alike... experiences fear at times... Some fears are actually GOOD.. The best kind of fear is a fear of God. This fear will turn us from evil. “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil,” (Proverbs 8:13). Just as we should fear doing things which could put us in physical danger, we should fear doing things which could put us in spiritual danger (consequences suffered from sinful behavior). This demonstrates “fear of God.”

We are generally able to manage our fears when in dangerous circumstances within our control. In difficult circumstances beyond our control, however, we can “have no fear” only as we trust in God.

1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” If we are in Christ, and trusting fully in Him for all of our needs, we will not fear anything. However, because we still have a sin nature within us, we still continue to experience fear-- even if we are in Christ. No one can be fully perfected in love and completely free from fear until they are fully sanctified-- when they die and go to heaven. However, as we grow in faith, and as God sanctifies us through the years, we will experience increasingly less fear. This is because, as we trust Christ more and more, we learn there is no need to fear!

In obedience to God’s Word, we must fight our fears by looking to Christ. Hebrews 12:1-2 reads, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In other words, we must not allow our fears… or any other kind of burden… to get the best of us. Hebrews tells us to put aside those cares and 1 Peter 5:6-7 tells us to cast all our cares on Jesus- because He cares for us. When we allow fear to reign in our hearts, we are demonstrating that we don’t believe God can or will help us. We are showing distrust in the God who created us and provides for our every need..

The following is a quote by George Mueller, “The last important point for the strengthening of our faith is that we let God work for us and do not work a deliverance of our own. When a trial of faith comes, we are naturally inclined to distrust God and to trust in ourselves, in our friends, or in circumstances. We would rather work a deliverance of our own than simply look to God and wait for His help. But if we do not patiently wait for God's help or if we work a deliverance of our own, then at the next trial of our faith we will have the same problem. We will again be inclined to try and deliver ourselves. With every fresh trial, our faith will decrease. On the contrary, if we stand firm in order to see the salvation of God, trusting in Him alone, our faith will be increased. Every time we see the hand of God stretched out on our behalf in the hour of trial, our faith would be increased even more. God will prove His willingness to help and deliver at the perfect time.”

God is the only One we should trust 100%. He is the One... the only One… on whom we can depend for the peace and faith we need in times of fear. As we seek, by His grace, to live in obedience to His word we can expect His blessing and His peace. A peace which is beyond all understanding.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us we are to, “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” When tempted to give in to fear and anxiety, we must pray to God, asking for His help. We also should thank Him for the things surrounding our circumstances, because this is part of obeying Him.. If we do these things, we are told, we will experience the supernatural peace of God. If we do not give thanks, we are disobedient and cannot expect to experience His peace. I have turned to these verses many times and recall them to mind when tempted to give into unnecessary fear. Proverbs 15:33 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom..”

I also bring to mind the following verse when unwelcome thoughts come into my mind and threaten to bring me down, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” This verse is found in Philippians 4:8. It follows the ones that tell us not to be anxious about anything, but pray about everything- with thanksgiving..

Things don’t always work out the way we might have hoped. We must trust that God knows best and is working through all things for the good of those who love Him (that “good” being to make us more and more like Christ-Romans 8:28-29). Let us refrain from giving into anxiety over those things beyond our control-- and let us have no fear. May we draw near to God, through His word and in obedience, so that we can experience His peace in troublesome times. And may we all exercise a healthy fear of the Lord-- for (as Proverbs 19:23 tells us) “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”