“When my daughter exclaimed, ‘Mommy, a bug!’ I looked where she was
pointing and saw the largest spider I have ever encountered outside of a pet
shop. Both the spider and I knew that he would not be allowed to stay in our
house. And yet, as I faced him, I found I could not take one step closer to end
the standoff. My pulse quickened. I swallowed and gave myself a pep-talk.
Still, fear kept me frozen in place” (J.B.S. –
american writer).
Fear is
powerful; it can override logical thinking and produce irrational behavior.
Thankfully, Christians don’t have to let fear of anything—people, situations,
or even spiders—rule our actions. We can declare, “Whenever I am afraid, I will
trust in [God]” (Ps. 56:3).
Taking
this stand against fear is consistent with the Bible’s instruction to “trust in
the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5).
Our own understanding may lead us to overestimate the object of our fear and
underestimate God’s power. When we are afraid, we can depend on God’s
understanding (Isa. 40:28) and trust in His love for us that “casts out fear”
(1 John 4:18). The next time fear creeps into your life, don’t panic. God
can be trusted in the darkness.
Trusting
God’s faithfulness dispels our fearfulness. (RBC)
