Life Action

Some years ago, I was at a major university attending a Broadway-style performance competition. I was sitting in the third row watching one of the groups do their number. In the middle of the song, the tuxedo pants on one of the men suddenly split all the way around and fell apart!

To this day I can't believe he didn't leave the stage. But he felt the need to continue, desperately holding his pants together! I'll never forget the pained expression on that poor guy's face as the audience roared in laughter.

Many Christians are living their lives like that dancer. They're going through the dance of life forcing a smile, but inwardly they feel as if they are about to fall apart. They fret and worry and are consumed with fear.

Have you ever been there—trying desperately to hold things together in the dance of your marriage, your family, your career, or your reputation? We wonder what we will eat, what we will wear, what will happen tomorrow, and how we'll pay for it. On and on the cycle goes until a sense of dread permeates our lives.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:32 that the pagan world runs  after all these things. They worry about them constantly. They do everything they can to control their situations so they'll never be on the wrong side of a risk. Though we serve the all-powerful Creator, we join in the world's worry. The tragedy is that we can get so caught up in these fears that we forget what it means to have the peace of God.

God's Command About Fears

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) commands:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul says, in the middle of a world of worrisome possibilities and fearful scenarios, do not be anxious! Bring your cares directly to God for help. No fear about anything, but prayer about everything.

Further, we are to pray with thanksgiving. When we get on our knees, laying out all our worries before God and thanking Him, we are making a choice to believe that God loves us and has a purpose for the things that are going on in our lives. He is shaping us to be like Jesus.

You may say, "I could never do that! You don't know the circumstances I'm facing!" But it's important to remember that you don't have to be delivered from the problem before you can thank Him. Your prayer might be as simple as, "Lord, I feel trapped in my fears, but I'm making a choice today to trust   You, to lay my requests before You, and to thank You."

For those who take the step of obedience to trust God with our fears, He reserves a blessing that goes beyond anything we could ever have anticipated: "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I know a man who lost his young wife to disease, leaving him a widowed dad with four children. I asked him if, at any point in the process, he lost the peace of God. His reply: "The only times I lost peace were the times I started thinking, 'What if . . . ?' God doesn't give you grace for what if; He gives you grace and peace for what is."

The peace of God guards our hearts so we can stay focused on God when frightening circumstances encircle us. It guards our minds so we won't give in to despair.

If we will hand our worries and fears to the Lord in prayer, He will guard and protect us from the pitfalls of a fretful, fearful, faithless existence. He will enable us to live a joyful, peaceful life in a stressed-out world.

How to Respond to Fears

List your fears. They may be very tangible things. Some people find themselves getting up at night to re-check the doors, even though they're already locked. Others hold back their generosity because of fear they'll go broke. Many fear failure, the loss of reputation, or the rejection of a family member. What do you fear?

Identify the lies behind your fears. For the Christian, every fear is ultimately based on a lie. Here are a few examples:

      FEAR                                        LIE
Fear of death.....................My security is in this life
Fear of rejection.................Worth comes from people
Fear for safety....................God may not do what’s best
Fear of poverty...................God won’t take care of me
Fear of suffering.................I won’t be able to bear it
   

Worry feels deceptively necessary, but remember: It accomplishes nothing. Jesus asked, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to life?" (Matt. 6:27).

It reminds me of those funnels that you put a coin in to watch it whirl around and around before it disappears into a hole in the middle. That's kind of like worrying; it distracts me for a little while, accomplishes nothing, and leaves me a little bit poorer! Worry brings us no closer to being like Jesus, and the objects of our worry remain completely unaffected by it.

Identify the truth. What does God's Word say? What are the truths that counter the fear-producing lies I am being tempted to believe? For example, the following Scriptures help answer the lies behind the fears identified above:

• "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Cor. 15:54-55).

• "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).

• "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven" (Matt. 18:10).

• "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).

• God says to us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9).

I started looking up every verse I could find on fear.  I discovered that the truth is summed up in a question the Psalmist posed: "What can mortal man do to me?" (Ps. 56:4). Human beings don't hold the keys to my joy, success, happiness, fulfillment, or eternal destiny. As long as God is with me, then like Joshua entering the Promised Land, I  can "be strong and very courageous" (Josh. 1:7).

Focus on worship. Remember the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)? Martha was busy and bothered, while Mary sat at Jesus' feet to learn and worship. Jesus said that Martha was anxious about many things. Isn't that the way we tend to live? But only one thing is needed: worship! You can't be a worrier and a worshiper at the same time. Worship will replace your worry.

Respond in faith. Responding in faith is important because fear wants to avoid faith at all costs. Fear tells us to avoid risks and hide our vulnerabilities. Fear causes us to make faith-less decisions—the wrong decisions! It keeps us from the abundant life of Christ. As you pray through your fears, you may hear God asking you to face one of them head on. He may require you to do precisely what you've avoided for so long.

The only alternative to a life of fear is a life of faith. Once we accept the fact that we can't control everything no matter how hard we try, we're ready to place our confidence in Christ to hold us, guide us, and walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death. Only then are we free—from midnight worries and countless "what ifs," from holding back and "playing it safe"—finally we can love and worship God.

In the end, faith in the face of fear is a choice, not a feeling. Fear is a natural emotion, and when it is felt, we must walk in bold obedience to the Lord. Only then can we enjoy His peace.

Mark Bearden is a revivalist with Life Action Ministries.