Which is Bigger? Faith or Fear

“Be Anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Fear is something we all deal with.  Cut on the news for 15 minutes and you can find yourself scared of Covid, scared of being attacked, scared of the side effects of your medications, scared to let your kids out of your sight, and on and on. 

The above passage was written by Paul while he was in a Roman prison.  Imagine the crude conditions, no electricity, no running water, no indoor plumbing and on top of that, Paul was chained between two Roman guards.  And Roman guards were notoriously cruel.  But even under these harsh conditions, Paul had peace.  Paul was singing hymns of praise and sharing the gospel of Jesus with any and every one he encountered. 

How easy would it have been for Paul to be filled with fear?  But Paul knew that no matter what his circumstances were, he was not alone.  Paul’s faith in Jesus was bigger than his fear.

Many times, we forget that we can have the same peace and joy that Paul had.  We can choose to live in fear or we can choose to trust in the Lord.  1 Timothy 1:7 tells us “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  God never intended for us to live a life shackled by fear.  In John 10:10 Jesus tells us, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly.” 

But you know who DOES want us to live our lives cowering in fear?  “Be sober, be vigilant: your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.  A lion is an apex predator, meaning no other animal hunts the lion as prey.  When a lion roars, the sound is so loud and so terrifying that is can paralyze its prey with fear. 

Isn’t that exactly what the devil tries to do to us?  He wants us to walk in fear, the fear of not being good enough, fear of being unworthy of love, fear of being alone, fear of not being worth saving, fear of being unredeemable, and the list goes on. 

But Jesus came to give us life and to give it to us in abundance.  No one can steal the joy that a personal relationship with Jesus gives you.

So the next time you feel fear rising up in the pit of your stomach, remember what the Word of God tells us, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”(1 John 4:4) and “Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).

Today let’s choose to walk in the freedom of God’s grace and mercy and to not be slaves to fear! 

And remember that “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) and Satan can only take that from you if you let him!

Yours in Christ,

Dee Bailey
Director of Women in the Word Women's Ministry