Through the past few weeks, the Lord has really been putting a spotlight on the areas where I act from a motivation of fear, and gently nudging me toward a more right way of walking in His will through faith. My husband and I are in the market for a replacement vehicle, and yesterday, when faced with a promising used vehicle, I felt the immediate urge to rush into the sale because it might be taken by someone else. I had to remind myself, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that there are more cars out there, and nothing bad would happen if we weren’t able to get that car. The Lord would still provide, still be good, and my life wouldn’t cease to exist, no matter how much I felt like it might.

As we’re told in 1 Timothy 1:7, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” For context, the author was talking about not being timid in the laying on of hands and spiritual gifts, but I think the use of this scripture is not inappropriate. 

(For other references see Isaiah 41:10, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 27:1, Matthew 10:29-31, John 14:1, Philippians 4:6-7) 

Scripture is clear that the only thing we are to “fear”, is being out of alignment with the Lord; we are to fear His righteous wrath against our sin, which (Praise God!) ceases to exist against us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control.” The grouping of the attributes that follow fear is not random. When faced with fear and the temptation to act on that fear, it takes power, loving trust in our Father’s provision, and self control, through the Holy Spirit, to resist and redirect to God’s will over our own fleshly urges. 

So there, you have been armed with scriptures to combat your fear! You’re cured! Onwards in faith, leaving fear in the rearview…we wish, right? 

Unfortunately, learning to walk in faith and self control instead of fear is a process. There is no switch we can flip to turn off our fear or anxiety responses. There is no “faith injection” to override your fear and cause you to stride forth into life like David toward Goliath. If there was, we wouldn’t learn to draw as near to the Lord during that process, to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), and our spirits would not have the opportunity to be pruned into the fruit bearers the Father desires. 

Your journey of learning to walk in faith will likely look different than mine, but in the event we’re spiritual twins, or something I have learned can help you, here are some practical things that have helped me. 

1. Pray – Ask the Lord weekly, daily, or whenever it comes to mind to help you discern the areas of your life where you act out of fear. Whenever you feel an urge to act out of fear, or anxiety around a decision/action, pray right then and there, asking the Lord to help you in your distress. 
2. Know the Word – most likely, if you are in a habit of acting out of fear, the Lord may be wanting you to make changes. But how will you know what those changes are or what His guidance is? You have to first know Him, and unless He chooses to reveal himself to you like He did to Paul, the scriptures are the next best resource we have for knowing the heart, tone, and character of our Heavenly Father. By knowing the scriptures, you will begin to be able to discern if a decision or action lines up with God’s will as we see it displayed in the Word. 
3. Slow Down – Often when motivated by fear, I feel like I need to act now. I need to buy the car now because it won’t be there longer if I don’t. I need to reply to that text now, so they don’t think I’m mad – the list goes on. Beloved, nothing bad will happen to you if you take two minutes to pray and think. (Unless you’re being chased by a bear, in which case, please pray on the run.)  
4. Trust – This is a very broad term, but one that has been very important to me. There are several areas of our life that are up in the air at the moment, and I don’t see a way forward. The Lord has not seen fit to reveal His plan to us. So, Based on His track record (He hasn’t failed me yet!),  I must trust that He has our good and His glory in store for our futures, regardless of the current trainwreck I see. Based on His track record (He hasn’t failed me yet!). God never forgets to take care of any of His children. Even if the outcome is not what I, in my earthly understanding, think is best, it will the best outcome, because God will be involved. 
5. Voice Your Fear – This is perhaps one of the most helpful things for me personally. Often, fear motivation is really quite shallow and silly once it is voiced. The other day, when my husband asked me why I was so anxious about a certain decision, just the act of voicing it took all the power away from that spirit of fear. The moment I voiced it I knew it didn’t make sense, and the Holy Spirit guided us forward from there. Bring your fears to the light through prayer, speaking with a spouse/friend, etc. Do not let your fear sit on simmer in your mind, filling you with the vague mist of worry and anxiety more than it already does. 

Lastly, be encouraged and do not lose heart. No temptation has overcome you that is not common to us all, (1 Cor. 10:13). Fear is not something only you struggle with, or something that every other christian has figured out and you’re just lagging behind. That’s a lie straight from the pits of hell. Every christian ever has struggled with fear and, this side of heaven, it is something we will all struggle with at some point in our lives. 

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”

~ Psalm 73:26

But God. 

Hugs, 

-M