Faith over Fear

I’m sure most of us will agree we have fears of some kind or another, both rational and irrational – from public speaking to heights, spiders to the dark, we can fear anything. I’ve alluded to in a previous post that I worry about numerous different things, but I think that one of my biggest fears, and the one that most can be linked to, is a fear of the unknown – the worry of ‘what if’.

This worry displays itself across several areas of life where I cannot control (or think I know) the outcome. I have recently been on my first overseas mission trip to Montenegro with a Christian charity I work with and, as you can imagine, the ‘what if’ worries were in plentiful supply: ‘what if I can’t cope well in the heat?’, ‘what if I get ill or travel sick (one of my main, irrational fears is being sick in public – irrational because it has never happened!)?’, ‘what if no one talks to me at the events I go to and I stand around looking awkward?’, ‘what if I can’t communicate well with people of another language/culture?’, and the list goes on…

So, what do I do? How do I manage life without being in a perpetual state of fear? As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a planner and tend to try to prepare in advance (whether that’s practicing an activity before doing it (like public speaking or playing music) or having a bag filled with items for numerous possible eventualities). Whilst this helps in part, this preparation is usually me relying on myself and often doesn’t give me the peace or confidence about the situation that I am searching for. 


Thankfully though, I don’t have to rely on my limited abilities when something crops up that causes me anxiety. As a Christian, I know my main help comes when I stop looking at myself and instead look to the One who loves me unconditionally. The One who gave everything to save me. 


Why would God be bothered about whether something is causing me anxiety? Because He loves me. How do I know that? Because He sent His very own son (Jesus) to save me (and all who have faith in Him) from an eternity without Him. Jesus took the punishment I deserve for the wrong things I’ve thought, said and done, which should stop me from being able to have a personal relationship with God, and instead saved me through His death on the cross. 


How can I be sure that God will help me? The Bible is full of examples and promises of when He has done so: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"(Isaiah 41:10); He’s helped me numerous times before (including several on this recent trip!), and even though that doesn’t mean He’ll necessarily take the anxiety away or change the situation, I know that He’s with me and I can rely on Him to give me the strength I need to get through whatever happens.


Although I still have a lot of ‘what if’ moments, I have faith that I can pass them up to God and leave them in His more than capable hands. Through faith, I can change my perspective from my worries to what He has done and promised, from my weaknesses to His strength. 


Is this easy? No, not always – my natural response to situations is often to worry and choosing to trust God through them is something I need to continue working on.


As the hymn ‘I Know who Holds the Future’ says:

 

‘I do not know what lies ahead,

the way I cannot see;

yet one stands near to be my guide;

he’ll show the way to me.

 

I know who holds the future,

and he’ll guide me with his hand.

With God things don’t just happen;

everything by him is planned.

So as I face tomorrow

with its problems large and small,

I’ll trust the God of miracles,

give to him my all.

 

I do not know how many days

of life are mine to spend;

but one who knows and cares for me

will keep me to the end.

 

I do not know the course ahead,

what joys and griefs are there;

but one is near who fully knows;

I’ll trust his loving care.’


Whilst I cannot know what tomorrow will bring, whilst life will continue to be full of unknowns, what I do know for sure is that I can rely on God to see me through. I can choose to have faith over fear.





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