Do Not Fear

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”-Matthew 14:27

by Chris Jones

A counselor friend of mine once told me that, looking back on her life, she was horrified to realize how many times she thought that she had made a decision only to realize her fear had made it for her. I have certainly been guilty of that. Have you?

Fear is so deep inside each of us that it can guide our decisions without us even realizing it. Fear of not being able to provide for our families, fear of not being good enough, fear of being alone, fear of death… fear is always there.

That is why the most frequent command in the Bible is do not fear. Did you know that? When God speaks to His people, He almost always starts by telling them not to fear.

It is almost as if our heavenly Father knows exactly how much fear we have inside of us, tearing us apart every day.

How different would your work life, your home life, etc. be if you were not bogged down by fear?

The question is how do we get rid of our fear? We read Jesus saying, “Do not be afraid” and we almost laugh, as if to say “How exactly do I do that? You got a drug I can take that makes the fear go away?”

What if the God’s prescription for fear alleviation was God Himself? As if the more time you spent with God, reading His Word, talking to Him in prayer, and hanging out with His people, the less fear would grip you.

Why don’t you and I try that and see what God does.

I’m pretty sure it will be good stuff.