“It is I; don’t be afraid” John 6:20 (NIV)
Fear is everywhere. God knows this about us. Yet we deny it, opting instead for a false rugged exterior, a hard shell built to shield the fear beneath it.
The first step towards conquering fear is to acknowledge it. Many believers waste time masking their fear instead of crying out, “Daddy, I’m scared.” Trust God. He knows you are afraid. And He longs for you to be freed from fear by resting in the reality that He controls all things.
When Peter, James and John went with Jesus upon a mountain and heard God declare “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”[1], they fell face down terrified. Immediately, Jesus touched them saying, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.” And if we need not be afraid when Jesus bends the laws of the universe and God interrupts the space-time continuum so Jesus can meet with Moses and Elijah on a mountaintop, what is worthy of our fear?
Our Master commands all things. He molds the air molecules we breathe. He made gravity and energy, the sun, the moon and the heavens. He has not left us here to live in fear. He desires that we watch Him work, realize His presence and not retreat into fear. For He knows that fear cripples us.
Jairus sought Jesus out to heal his dying daughter. “Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”[2] But before Jesus reached the girl, men from Jairus’ house came. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”[3]
This is an excellent question. When all is lost, when hope has died, why should we not stop bothering God with our problems? The answer lies in Jesus’ response. Ignoring what they said, Jesus told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”[4]
God doesn’t care what the crowd thinks. He ignores what others say He can and cannot do. Like He did for Jairus, Jesus asks us to not fear our circumstances. Instead simply believe that He controls them all. Fear causes us to stop focusing on God’s power and sovereignty and become consumed with the temporal circumstances that surround us. But remember, believer, God is your past, present and future circumstance. Nothing passes without His knowledge. Not one moment of your circumstances, scary though they may seem, are too big for Jesus to touch you and say, “Get up. Don’t be afraid. Just believe.”
[1] Matt. 17:5 (NIV)
[2] Mark 5:23 (NIV)
[3] Mark 5:35 (NIV)
[4] Mark 5:36 (NIV)