How to Overcome Fear

QUESTION: How to overcome fear - Are there steps to help me?

ANSWER:

Are there steps that may be taken to overcome fear? The first step in overcoming fear is recognizing and identifying what fear is and its origin. Fear is the response of the emotions to uncertainty of things unknown or anticipated, insecurity and guilt. The everyday things of life provide many opportunities to fear: "Will I lose my job? Will I have enough money to pay my bills? Will I, or one of my loved-ones get sick and die? Will my spouse leave me?"These thoughts originate from Satan, the enemy of our souls and cause us great anguish. While all of these questions are possibilities, there is no reason to anticipate loss and failure. Bad things as well as good things happen to all people. Satan's trick is to make us feel that we will receive an inordinate amount of "bad things" and further, and more importantly, that we will be unable to cope. He wants us to feel we will be overcome by evil.

The second step in overcoming fear is to resist it by faith. Once we accept that fear is generated by the evil will of Satan who lies and accuses, we can begin to resist it. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. . ." (1 Peter 5:8-9). Faith is not just asking and receiving, faith is acknowledging who God is and fully accepting Him. When we realize that God is our Father, that He is all powerful and that He loves us, we will realize that there is no situation in life, real or imagined, that God will not be able and willing to help us. Through the love and power of God anything can be conquered. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:15).

Thirdly, we must sidestep the pitfall of guilt. Often we live in fear, because we accept the lie that we will have "bad things" happen to us because we have done "bad things." We believe that sickness or loss will come on us because we have sinned. The Bible lets us know that, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). God is not seeking to punish us for our sins; He has already laid our sins upon His precious Son, Jesus and the penalty has already been paid. We have the right to rest in the knowledge that we are children of God and God will provide for us. "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).

Lastly, we should stand on God's Word, His promises. God is as good as His Word. He will do whatever He has promised. This is our security and anchor; we can know that whatever does come into our life does not have to shake us because of what Jesus has done. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul. . ." (Hebrews 6:19). If fear is a problem in our lives, we can turn fully to the Lord who is always waiting to help us: "And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me" (Psalms 50:15).