Overcoming Fear
We are more prone to make mistakes when we are afraid than at any other time. Fear can blind, terrorize, and paralyze us. God sets us free from the grip of fear when we fix our eyes on him.
Transcript
I’ve come to a place in my life now where I can sleep like a log. But it hasn’t always been that way. In fact, for most of my life, I struggled to fall asleep at night. My mind would race with all kinds of worries, and I would toss and turn for a long time before I could fall asleep. In those days, worry would grip my thoughts and hold my body captive. And in the dark, troubles doubled and always seemed bigger and worse than in the daytime.
You would have described me as a worry wart, a control freak, or an anxious person. But the truth is I was a person filled with fear, fear of the uncontrollable, fear of the unknown, fear of what people will think, fear of the future. Those things kept me up late into the night. Excessive worry, anxious thoughts, and obsessive and compulsive behaviors are signs of fear.
Fear is not a sin, but when we are fearful, we often sin. We see in the Bible that the people of God make more mistakes in times of fear than at any other time. This is why the number one command of Scripture is “fear not.” God, angels, Jesus, and leaders are constantly telling people not to be afraid.
The story of God’s people, the Israelites, as he led them out of Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land, is one that is filled with God’s admonition for them not to be afraid.
Sadly, as we heard in the reading of Deuteronomy 1, they were filled with fear time after time. Moses is near the end of his life. He has led them up to the border of the Promised Land, but his protégé, Joshua, will lead them into the land to conquer it. And Moses wants to remind the people of what they have done so that they will not repeat their mistakes once they are living in the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 1, he recalls what was written about in Numbers 13-14.
Here's a quick summary:
God sent Moses to lead his people out of Egypt, where they had been slaves for 400 years.
After surviving 10 plagues, an army of warriors in chariots, starvation by God providing manna and quail from the sky, plagues because of idol worship, and the usual discomforts of millions of people walking across the desert, they arrive at the border of the Promised Land—a place God had promised to their ancestors and was now promising to give to them.
Moses told them (v. 21), “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord told you.)”
But after sending spies to scout out the land, 10 of the spies said it was suicide to go into the Promised Land because the current people living there are giants and live in indestructible cities.
Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, told them not to be afraid because God would give the people and land to them.
But Israelites were filled with fear and refused to move forward into the land.
Instead, they plotted to choose a new leader who would take them back to Egypt.
Moses said to them (v.29), “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them…The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness.” Moses knew that fear had gripped their hearts and minds, and fear could easily lead them astray.
It is an interesting and perplexing thing to me that many, I think most, Christians are resigned to living with fear and its close relative, anxiety. I have often heard people say that fear is a normal part of human life. But fear is not from God or of God. Instead, fear is a tool of the enemy to keep us from freedom and fullness in Christ. Fear keep us from the peace and joy that God has promised to give us. And fear can lead us to very destructive behaviors.
Here are some hard truths about fear.
Fear robs us of our faith.
We focus on the problem and see it as being bigger than God. And then the doubts come crashing in on us. In times of fear, we often question God’s presence, his goodness, his power, and his love. Rob Reimer says that people’s greatest question to God is “Do you love me?” Notice how the Israelites began to question God’s love and said (v. 27, 28a), “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.”
Fear makes us selfish—self-focused.
The focus is on me and what could happen to me! The need to protect ourselves skyrockets. If we believe that it’s a life-or-death situation, we will justify any and all actions we take in order to protect and survive.
Fear often leads us to be controlling and manipulative.
In times of fear, we take things into our own hands and try to gain control of the situation through our efforts. The Israelites wanted to appoint a leader from among them who would lead them back to Egypt. After they realized God was angry with them for their lack of faith and disobedience, they tried to enter the Promised Land and attack its inhabitants. But God was not with them, and they were chased back to their camp.
Fear usually believes in the worst-case scenario and can lead to feelings of despair.
The Israelites began to predict disastrous things. Numbers 14 provides greater detail about their failure to cross into the Promised Land, and we read that all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder.
Fear reveals our lack of faith in God.
Rob Reimer writes: “We can act on fear, or we can act on faith. We cannot act on both at the same time. We can feel afraid and act on faith, but we can’t act on both.” In Numbers 14:11, the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?”
We might think fear is just an emotion that we have to deal with until we have more courage and faith.
But fear too often ends in disobedience to God, which can have grave consequences. When we are filled with fear and find it hard to trust God, what we should say is: “It is hard to obey God right now.” That should alert us to the fact that disobedience is right around the corner if we continue in fear.
Because of fear, we may lose our destiny.
God’s judgement on the disbelieving and disobedient Israelites was: “23…not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it… 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.” And the 10 spies who led the people astray were killed by a plague sent from God.
Rob Reimer raises some uncomfortable questions for you and me to ponder:
How often do we fail to take kingdom risks because of fear?
How frequently do we miss out on our prophetic destiny because of we play it safe due to underlying fears?
How many kingdom ministries remain unfilled and eternal destinies remain unaltered because we fail to confront our fears?
Rob Reimer writes, “It is often our anxious, fearful thoughts that precede our sin. If we can catch these, we can prevent many soul disasters.” It is important for us to know when we are fearful so that we don’t make mistakes or disobey God out of fear. Many of us are willing to admit that we are worried and anxious, but we don’t want to admit that we are afraid and full of fear.
Remember: Self-awareness is the gateway to freedom. It doesn’t guarantee it, but you can’t get there without it.
Therefore, we need to identify our fears. Psalm 139: 23-24 - “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
What are your root fears? Dominant, most significant fears are tied to our childhood wounding and experience, tied to the lies we believe about ourselves and our identity, and tied to family sin patterns.
Recently, I met with a young lady who is currently in her third physically and emotionally abusive relationship. She was able to admit that in her desperation to feel loved by someone, she was willing to put up with the abuse. Now she knows what she is up against.
Here are some examples of root fears.
No one will want me; I’m not good enough.
People will lose respect for me because I’m incompetent and inadequate.
God can’t use me; I’m broken, defective, insignificant, and worthless.
Nothing will work out well for me because I’m helpless and defeated.
I will always be alone because I am unlovable.
I have to do it myself; I’m the only one I can trust.
Bad things happen when I’m not in control.
How does the fear get manifest in your life? What do you feel, think, do when the fear is ignited? ID how your fears are expressed/manifest: hiding, negative self-talk, imaginary conversations, anxiety, sleeplessness, short fuse, numbing, escaping into fantasy, shutting down, etc. God does not want us to live with our fears and be overcome by them. God’s love for us is so deep, and His desire is that we would trust Him.
While we ask if God loves us, God’s greatest question to humans is “I’ve given you my only Son; now do you trust me?” When we trust God, He promises to give us peace that is unlike anything earth has. John 14:27 Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” God’s peace is not dependent on circumstances. It depends on relationship with Him.
Isaiah 41:10 - “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.”
1 John 4:18 - “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
So how do we overcome our fears? In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul gives us some crucial steps. “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Steps to addressing fear:
Begin with worship: Rejoice/worship/thanksgiving. Remember the Lord’s presence and fix your eyes on Jesus. Be obsessed with Jesus, who is exalted. He is near. Soak in His presence. Restoration of the soul comes in times of stillness and silence.
Surrender (meekness): give up our self-focus and trust God. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Rob Reimer says, ““Ultimately, to conquer our fears, we have to surrender our fears to God and trust Him. He is with us. He is for us. He loves us. And that is enough for us.” We have to build a trusting, loving relationship with God so that no matter what happens, even if there are bad results, God is enough for us. Trust in God, not in what He will do to get you out of trouble.
Obey: act in the opposite direction of your fear. Courage is doing what is right in the face of fear.
Romans 15:13 - “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Reflection Questions
• What are my root fears?
• What are the wounds and lies beneath my fears?
• How do they affect my relationship with God?
