God’s Answers

Downloadable Reflection Guide

Fear can be defined as:

An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Fear is a natural part of life. Fear protects us, keeping us from doing something foolish or taking unnecessary risks. Yet, fear can also be paralyzing. Fear can prevent us from connecting with others and from living our lives to the full (see John 10:10).

Psalm 34:4 points us to God when we seek answers for what we are to do as we seek to learn to overcome or simply live with our fear. Seek the Lord! This is indeed the perfect place to start. The Creator of the universe knows all things and as a bonus knows us and has our best as His goal for us. God knows our fears at a level we often do not. God understands the cause of our fear beyond our ability to even articulate them.

It is in seeking from God what He understands of us that we are delivered. We are no longer held captive by our fear but are able to come to terms with that which unnerves us. Saying this is far simpler than how this actually takes place within our lives. We must, with God’s help, confront what frightens us, and learn that while our fears may be perfectly rational, our response to them does not have to hold us captive. Our God is far bigger than our fears. This is not a denial of those fears. They are not removed from us, but rather we learn in Christ to rely upon and trust in God more than ourselves and in so doing learn how to acknowledge our fears and learn how God’s presence in our lives can see us through those times of fear.

Thoughts for Reflection

What are the things or situations that cause you to fear?

How can seeking God begin you on the journey to overcome those fears?