“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” – Isaiah 41:10

When I was a child, our family lived 2 miles up a dirt road in the hills of Corona.

We were your stereotypical hillbilly family and even had the mullet haircuts, horses, and chickens to show for it!

As a result of living so far from civilization, we only had two neighbors.

That not only made “trick-or-treating” impossible, but it also gave us a disadvantage if we had an emergency.

On top of that, we had a second disadvantage.

We had an assortment of snakes (some poisonous), tarantulas, and many other types of creatures lurking around in our home. It was as if they were waiting for me to come outside and “play”.

Living in the wilderness affected my adult life in a dramatic way because I’m still afraid of snakes and spiders!

If you’re interested in the top ten fears in the United States, then here’s a list:

1. Fear of public speaking 74 %
2. Fear of death 68 %
3. Fear of spiders 30.5 %
4. Fear of darkness 11 %
5. Fear of heights 10 %
6. Fear of people or social situations 7.9 %
7. Fear of flying 6.5 %
8. Fear of confined spaces 2.5 %
9. Fear of open spaces 2.2 %
10. Fear of thunder and lightning 2 %

How About You, What Are You Afraid of?

What makes you curl up into a tiny little ball of timidity?

It seems the fear-factor volume in the world has been turned up a lot lately.

But as a child of God, you no longer have to be afraid.

As a Christian, you no longer have to live a life consumed with fear, stress, and worry.

No matter what happens to you personally or to those around you, it has to pass through your Father’s hands first.

Sometimes you need to be reminded that God is in control of your life, even though you might not feel that way.

He’s watching over you, and walking with you everywhere you go.

Have confidence in God’s ability to protect you, lead you, and keep you because He promises never to leave or forsake you.

But Doesn’t The Bible Tell You to “Fear God”?

The Bible tells us in several verses to “fear God.” Many times however, we twist this concept around and paint a biased, incorrect picture of Him.

When the Bible says to fear God, it’s not telling you to imagine God as (in my case) a slithering rattlesnake waiting around to attack and destroy you.

Fearing God means you’re afraid to disobey Him. It means you’re scared to reap the negative consequences of your actions.

It means you’re afraid to live a life displeasing to Him because you don’t want to let your Heavenly Father down.

You need to remember that fearing God doesn’t mean you’re too afraid to leave the house, it means you’ve let go of the fear of everything else.

It means you’re allowing God full control of your life and the choices you make in it.

Follow This Advice to Gain Wisdom and Make Better Choices

Wisdom and discernment come from reading God’s Word, and listening to the whisper of His still small voice.

You need to remember that God’s will for you is only good! His love for you is unconditional, and His mercies are new every single morning!

He doesn’t want you to go down the wrong path for a good reason!

It’s not that God wants to leave out all of the “fun”. It’s just the opposite.

He wants to spare you the devastation that inevitably comes from a life lived in rebellion and disobedience to Him.

Every single choice you make is either a step forward or a step backward. It’s either a step towards God or a step away from God because the Bible says that you reap what you sow. (Galatians 6:7)

As Christians, we’re given everything we need to live an honest, pure and humble life. But we must tap into our power source, the power of the Holy Spirit.

We’re given the strength to do everything God calls us to do.

As a result, we’re able to love God and other people more than ourselves. We have a supernatural ability to resist temptations and walk in obedience to God’s Word.

So take heart if you’re struggling right now by meditating on this truth. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you!” (Acts 1:8)

You’ll be empowered and enabled to keep pressing forward in obedience to the Lord because you’re not fighting this battle alone.

You’re not relying on your abilities or your strength. You’re relying on the Holy Spirit inside of you! (See Zechariah 4:6)

You Don’t Have to be Superman or Wonder Woman

Being brave and courageous doesn’t mean you wear a red cape around your neck in hopes of “saving the day”.  

It means you’re turning your fear into faith and trusting God with whatever comes your way.

It means you’re acknowledging His power, His glory, and His sovereignty in your life. It means you’re waiting and relying upon Him for absolutely everything!

So if God is telling you to stand still and wait patiently for your next move, then trust Him and stand still.

If He’s telling you to step out onto deeper waters, don’t allow fear to hinder you and step out.

Satan wants you to doubt God’s faithfulness and allow fear to control you, but you have to refuse to give into him!

“Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you!” (James 4:7)

God has a good reason for whatever He tells you to do and not to do in His Word.

That’s why having a personal relationship with Him is vital to your life lived here on earth.

How will you know what God approves of or disapproves of if you’re not in His Word?

How will you know which way He wants you to go unless you have a prayer life and ask Him for directions?

How to Never Be Paralyzed by Fear Again

God is sovereign, and Jesus Christ is coming back for us soon. That’s why now more than ever, we need to “deny ourselves, carry our crosses, and follow Him”. (Luke 9:23)

We need never to allow our fear of the enemy, our limitations, and insecurities to prevent us from doing all that God has called us to do.

When you turn on the news, what to do you see?

You may see how this world is corrupt, evil, and under the temporary rule of Satan.

But as Christians, we don’t need to become paralyzed by fear!

Believe it or not, the world today mirrors the world Noah lived in way back then. Just as “God remembered Noah”, God remembers you too!

“Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. ” – Genesis 8:1

God destroyed the entire world with a massive flood. He spared Noah and his family because he “was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God” (Genesis 6:9).

As Christians, we too have found favor in the eyes of our Creator, and He too will spare us from eternal judgment and the wickedness this world is surrounding us with!

Jesus Christ has become our modern day “ark”. 

He is our Savior, our safe heaven, our protection and our refuge!

Jesus will not allow us to drown no matter how fierce the storms are raging around us.

He’ll defeat the enemies that try and knock us down or stand in our way!

Our job as His followers isn’t to shun this darkness, but turn on the light!

We’re to share the Good News of the Gospel – the free gift of salvation – to as many as we can before it’s too late!

So even though the world around us is completely out of control, you don’t need to be discouraged, fearful or dismayed. “For if God be for us, who can be against us!” (Romans 8:31)

This world is not your home so don’t get pulled down with it.

Surrender your fears by surrendering your control to the God of the impossible.

He will part the Red Seas in your paths.

He will defeat the Goliath’s trying to make you afraid.

He will melt the mountains like wax, and He will give you the power to resist any temptation the enemy throws your way.

Be brave and courageous for our God is the God of angel’s armies.

He loves you more than you could ever imagine.

He’s delivered you from the snare of the fowler and has called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light by name.

You’re a child of God and you’re never alone!

So be encouraged no matter who or what tries to rob you of your joy. Have confidence in Almighty God, or the boldness to take those steps of faith!

“You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
All my fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
So I could stand and sing
I am child of God…”

Study Verses: Jeremiah 1:8, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23:4, 1 John 4:18