Every one of us has experienced fear at some point in our lives. Moreover, when Covid-19 struck the world, fear levels were through the roof.
According to a nationwide poll conducted by USA TODAY and Ipsos, in just a month (between March 2020 and April 2020), fear levels regarding the threat of Covid-19 to the USA more than doubled from 34% to 71%.
Additionally, fear levels regarding the global economy shot from 47% to 76%. And that of the stock market rose from 47% to 68%.
We cannot judge anybody for fearing the unknown because people lost lives, loved ones, jobs, and livelihoods during this period. However, is being fearful a sin?
What is Fear?
According to the dictionary, fear is an emotional response of uneasiness triggered by the perception of danger (real or imagined). So fear is a response like pain to alert the body of trouble.
The problem comes in when fear starts controlling our lives. Just like everything in life, too much of something is poisonous. Therefore, living fearfully because of the unknown is a life of bondage.
As children of God, Christ died for us to set us free from sin and fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Therefore, the Bible encourages us to have only one type of fear in our lives. That is the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).
Types of Fear
1. Fear of God
The fear of God is the only type of fear that the Scriptures encourage us to have. Jesus states in Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Fearing God keeps us from sinning. It gives us an awareness that God is watching whatever we do. Moreover, we will give an account of our words and actions on Judgement Day.
Sadly, the fear of God has been thrown out the window. As a result, people are living reckless lives (#YOLO). Actions considered an abomination 50 years ago are everyday lifestyles today.
The worldly character is silently and steadily creeping into our churches. But we should understand as children of God, we should fear Him amid evil.
We will look at some characters in the Bible who inspire us to fear God, what come may.
Joseph
Joseph is a true role model. He possessed the fruit of the Spirit even though the Holy Spirit wasn’t residing in him as he does in us.
When he landed in Egypt, a foreign land worshiping idols, Potiphar purchased him and put him in charge of his household. But, unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife lusted on Joseph and kept the pressure on him daily to sleep with her.
Typically, men are susceptible to sexual advances than women. But here we see Joseph, a handsome, well-built young man overcoming this seemingly unavoidable temptation for most men.
Joseph could have easily given in to her advances and destroy God’s purpose for his life. But Joseph feared the Lord.
So when Potiphar’s wife made her advances, Joseph told her, “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).
Remember, God had not yet given the Ten Commandments. So Joseph did not need any laws or rules to keep him in check. But the fear of the Lord drove his decisions and actions.
Daniel
Daniel is another great Bible character that inspires us. Right from the word go in Babylon, he was determined not to defile himself with the King’s food.
Imagine the King’s delicacies. You can bet this was food that all Babylonians desired to have on their tables. But Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego asked for vegetables and water.
Remember, they were in a foreign land. The Babylonians destroyed their homeland and took them to captivity. But even so, Daniel feared God and would rather eat unappetizing vegetables than share in the King’s delicacies.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Their story is one of the most famous in the Bible. Hence, I believe you already know which tale I am talking about before you read it.
Yes, it’s that one where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue.
The fear of the Lord in these guys was evident, no doubt. So they preferred to burn in a fiery furnace, seven times hotter than its normal state, than bow to this idol.
It was not an easy thing to tell a ruthless king like Nebuchadnezzar, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve can deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18).
These guys had guts, but more importantly, the fear of the Lord gave them the courage and confidence they needed to respond to the King. Indeed, their firm stand glorified God, and He saved them from the fiery furnace.
2. Fear of Self
Fear of self involves being doubtful of your abilities to accomplish goals and visions.
We all have weaknesses and insecurities about ourselves. But this fear keeps us from acting and achieving. The Lord tells us in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Be strong and courageous. This verse is not a plea or request from the Lord. It is a COMMAND. The Lord commands us to be strong and brave because He knows that he will be with us.
It is not a sin to be afraid to act because we are insecure. Even some of the most outstanding leaders and prophets in the Bible, like Gideon and Jeremiah, faced this fear.
But when the Lord encouraged them, they overcame their insecurities and achieved the purposes that God willed for them.
Gideon
The Book of Judges shows us the Israelites’ behavior from Joshua’s death to King Saul’s leadership. These guys seemed to enjoy the merry-go-round they put themselves in.
They sin against God; God hands them over to a Nation that oppresses them.
They cry out to the Lord; the Lord raises a Judge and saves them.
These guys spent centuries in this cycle.
And amid this cycle, we find a man called Gideon, who God raised to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites.
The Midianites were so harsh, stealing all of their food and flocks, leaving them with nothing to eat that Gideon had to thresh wheat in a winepress to hide it from them.
Now, when the angel of the LORD came and gave him God’s message of saving the Israelites from the Midianites, Gideon responds, “Pardon me, my Lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 6:15).
Even though God knew that Gideon was the right man for the job, Gideon thought otherwise. His insecurities overshadowed his belief that he tested God three times to be sure about his calling. The good thing is that he finally accepted the call of God and accomplished his purpose.
Jeremiah
When we read Jeremiah 1:5, God assures Jeremiah that he appointed him to be a prophet right from his mother’s womb. But in verse 6, Jeremiah expresses his doubts about his abilities claiming that he is too young to speak for the Lord.
I believe he thought, “What will these people say? Who will even believe that God has sent such a young guy? They will mock me and maybe kill me.”
But God, in His love and patience, encourages him, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ On the contrary, you must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).
Jeremiah conquered his insecurities through God’s help and became one of the greatest prophets that ever lived. But he had to take that step of faith and believe that God will keep his promise to be with him.
3. Fear of Man and Danger
This fear battles most of us, if not all. We are usually afraid of how people will perceive us, what they will say, and what they will do. But Jesus explicitly tells us to fear God only because he is the One with the power to destroy both body and soul in hell.
The much a man can do is kill the body. Furthermore, we all have an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27); therefore, we must face it someday.
Fear also shows a lack of faith to some degree, especially on things we cannot control. For example, some of us fear natural disasters, terrorism, diseases, and death.
These are occurrences in life we don’t have control over; therefore, we should trust in God’s protection and purposes. Finally, we will look at a character in the Bible who acts out of fear of man and danger.
And That is Peter
Peter was one of the disciples in Jesus’ inner circle, together with John and James. Peter was so confident he would never leave Jesus whatsoever, even after Jesus’ prophecy of denying him.
But Peter denied Jesus out of fear. Remember, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was yet to happen. So bear in mind the circumstances he faced, considering he was not Spirit-filled.
So naturally, I wouldn’t judge him so harshly because I believe all of us would have behaved the same way.
However, Peter bitterly repented, and the Lord restored him. Thus, he became one of the most significant apostles of the church.
How Do We Overcome Fear?
After learning the three types of fears, we must learn how to overcome the two that influence our lives negatively.
We overcome fear by:
- Most importantly, fearing God alone (Proverbs 1:7, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Proverbs 14:27, Matthew 10:28)
- Realizing that God is with us (Isaiah 41:10, Psalms 118:6, Psalms 23:4)
- Trusting that God’s plan for our lives is positive (Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11)
- Seeking the peace of God through prayer (Philippians 4:6)
- Pursuing love (1 John 4:18, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
The peace of God in our hearts casts out any fear or doubt in us. Many of us believe that peace is the absence of war or conflict. But the peace of God is the belief and assurance that whatever happens, God is in control.
Your confidence should be, “All things work together for my good because I love God and I am called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Having this confidence enables us to overcome so many insecurities and fears.
I hope you have been encouraged by the Lord! Only fear God and have faith in him to deliver and provide for you. BE STILL and know that He is God!
Ifyou struggle with overwhelming or uncontrollable fears and feel that you may need counseling, please feel free to contact me for counseling. CLICK HERE to get started!
Be blessed.
By: Angelo Shamoon
Updated on April 2021