5 ways the Bible tells us not to be afraid
What many do not understand is that fear can take on multiple personalities, be in different areas of our livelihood and make us accept certain behaviors or beliefs without realizing that we are doing it. Fear is an "unpleasant" emotion or anxious concern formed by our anticipation or awareness of the danger. There is also another point of view of the fear attributed to God that many cannot associate as fear, and it is a fear of God that is inspired by the reverence or reverential fear of him, of his power and his love. We will examine both perspectives towards fear through the way it is discussed in the Word of God and the ways we can have a healthy fear of God without the unnecessary fears of this world.
Fear in the light of the Bible
The term "not to fear" is reported in the Bible 365 times, which, ironically, is the number of days in a year. Some recognized scripture verses that contain "do not fear" include Isaiah 41:10 ("Do not be afraid, for I am with you"); Joshua 1: 9 ("Do not be afraid ... because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go"); and 2 Timothy 1: 7 ("Because God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a healthy mind."). What these verses mention, as well as many others throughout the Bible, is God's view of fear of his creation of the unknown or fears accentuated by the damaging memories of the past. This would be considered by God as unhealthy or toxic fears because they represent the distrust that God has towards God to take care of their every need and believing that he has no good plans for them.
The other type of fear, the fear of God, is a twofold understanding of fear: one is the fear of God regarding His love and power - which can make any dream become a reality and has unlimited peace and security to give. freely . The second form of this type of fear is our fear of God's wrath and disappointment when we turn to him or refuse to serve him and others. When one realizes that the first type of fear has gripped his heart, the hope is that the person rejects the comforts of fear and runs towards the Father, seeking His wisdom to fight whatever has triggered the fear, as stated in Proverbs 9: 10: "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Saint is understanding." This will then lead to the other type of fear, the fear of God, which focuses on God's wisdom and understanding His plan for us.
Why does the Bible say you are not afraid?
As we all know living in today's society, fear is something that intertwines in every aspect of our life. According to statistical studies, over 30% of adults in the United States have anxiety or phobia problems. Our fears can induce us to trust in things, people, places, idols, etc., instead of trusting in the One who created and breathed in life. Pastor Rick Warrens stresses that people's fears are rooted in the belief that God is out to condemn them through their trials and it hurts instead of remembering that it isn't because of Jesus' sacrifice. This approves the fear of God in the Old Testament, where people followed the Law established by God in fear that if they did not do so, he would take away his favor and unleash hell. However, through Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, people now have a Savior who has taken punishment for those sins and takes us to a place where God only wants to offer love, peace and the opportunity to serve by his side.
Fear can be paralyzing and push the most composed people into states of absolute discomfort and uncertainty, but God reminds people through His Word that because of Jesus, there is nothing to fear. Even with death or failure, which are the prevailing fears among born-again Christians (as well as non-Christians) who believe in heaven and know that God loves them despite the mistakes they make, Jesus can still remove those fears. So why shouldn't we be afraid? The Bible makes this clear through several verses, including Proverbs 3: 5-6, Philippians 4: 6-7, Matthew 6:34 and John 14:27. Fear dulls your mind and judgment, leading you to make decisions that you wouldn't have made if you had a clear head on the situation. When you don't worry about what awaits us, but trust God for the result, His peace begins to fill your mind instead and that's when His blessings emerge.
5 ways the Bible teaches us not to fear
The Bible teaches us how to fight against the strongholds of fear, but no one intends to fight alone. God is in our corner and wants to fight our battles, so these are five ways the Bible teaches us not to fear letting God take over.
1. If you bring your fears to God, he will destroy them for you.
Isaiah 35: 4 says that those with a frightening heart can feel strong in the face of fear, knowing that God is there and will save you from fear, also offering sweet revenge. What is meant here is that while it may or may not mean that cancer, job loss, child death or depression disappear immediately, God will remove the fear that you might have that things will not change, bringing you love, hope and keep going.
2. If you bring your fears to God, you will not be left without answers.
Psalm 34: 4 says that King David sought the Lord and replied, freeing him from his fears. Some reading this may object and say that they have gone to God several times to get answers as to why they are afraid and have felt that they never have answers. I know; I was also in those shoes. However, in those cases, it was usually because I still had a hand on fear as I handed it over to God; I still wanted to control the way I fought (or embraced) fear instead of trusting God and leaving him in full control. His answer may be to wait, keep on fighting, let go or even get advice, but if you release your grip on fear, finger for finger, the answer of God will begin to penetrate your mind.
3. If you bring your fears to God, you will see more than he loves and cares for you.
One of 1 Peter's most valuable scriptures is that which states that "Throwing all your anxiety upon him because he takes care of you" (1 Pet. 5: 7). We all know, or at least have heard of it, that God loves us immensely. But when you read this scripture verse, you realize that He wants you to give him your fears because he loves you. Similar to how some earth-bound dads will ask about your problems and try to solve them for you, because they love you, God is the same who doesn't want your fears to overshadow the love he can demonstrate by removing those fears.
4. If you bring your fears to God, you will realize that you have never been created to fear the unknown or others.
According to Timothy 1: 7 it is a popular verse that people keep in mind when facing fears in their lives. This is because it brings the understanding that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline (or sound mind in some translations). God has done us for more than this world can understand sometimes, but the fears of this world can make us fall. So in the face of fear, God reminds us here that we were created to love, be strong and be clear.
5. If you bring your fears to God, you will be freed from the past; will not accompany you in the future.
Fear, for many of us, can be put into some event or situation that has made us fear or doubt our abilities. Isaiah 54: 4 tells us that when we are not afraid and trust our fears in God, we will not deal with the shame or humiliation of the past. You will never return to that fear of the past; you will be rid of it because of God.
Fear is something that we have all faced at some point in our life, or that we are still dealing with today, and while sometimes we look to society for the answers to fight our fears, we must instead look into the Word of God and His love. Releasing our fears to God in prayer allows us to take the first step in embracing the wisdom, love and strength of God.
The Bible has 365 reasons for "not to fear", so when you release your fear to God, or when you feel it creeping into your mind, open the Bible and find these verses. These verses have been declared by people who have faced fear like the rest of us; they believed that God did not create them to fear but to bring them these fears and testify how he opened them to God's plans.
Let us pray to Psalm 23: 4 and believe: “Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; Because you are with me; Your rod and your stick comfort me. "