Fear? What is that anyway?

According to the dictionary, Fear is a noun and is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. whether the threat is real or imagined, it is the feeling or condition of being afraid. After I looked it up in the dictionary I went to the Bible and found that the phrase ‘fear not’ is used 170 times. I looked at the ‘fear not’ scriptures and a lot of them ended with “for I am with you.”

As a little girl I was never afraid of anything when my dad was around, I thought he was the strongest man in the world. To look at him you might think he was fearsome, but he had a very gentle spirit. My mother was always a tower of strength and was able to take anything that came her way and I never worried about her ‘falling apart’ for any reason. She was the one, as the oldest sibling, that her whole family turned to for encouragement or help. Seeing them getting older and sick made me realize my own mortality more than anything, and gave me a sense of fear.

I’m admitting that out loud because as a person who was born and raised with faith in God, I found I had yielded to the temptation of being afraid; afraid that sickness had come for a long visit and death was waiting his turn to knock on my door.

What to do? I turned to the scriptures so dear to my heart; Isaiah 41:10 I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you. ‘Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.”

OK reading that helped me breathe a little easier.

Then I read Isaiah 41:13 Count on it: Everyone who had it in for you will end up out in the cold—real losers. Those who worked against you will end up empty-handed— nothing to show for their lives. When you go out looking for your old adversaries you won’t find them—Not a trace of your old enemies, not even a memory. That’s right. Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, ‘Don’t panic. I’m right here to help you.

Isaiah 43:1 Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine.

He knows my name! He has called me, given me help, and strength! He let me stand behind his back and shake my fist at the enemy! So what is this fear thing all about? I have heard it said that “Fear is Faith perverted”, that makes sense. If the devil can’t get you one way, he just does something different.

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly or fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” That gives you all the reason you need to conquer fear because in this scripture we see that fear is right up there with all the other heavy-duty sins!

So you think you’re perfect because you have not been immoral, yet you have been fearful, I’m sorry sweetheart that means you’re a sinner too! Fear means you don’t trust God and that really angers Him, because He gave us so much! This is a No Fear Zone!