“Courage, friends,” came Prince Rilian’s voice, “Whether we live or die Aslan will be our good lord.” (C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair)
What if I fail? What if the stock market crashes and I lose what I worked so hard to save? What if my friend rejects me after I share Christ?
“Aw, honey, don’t be afraid”—this common response to anxiety may not give peace as intended. Rather, the words may increase anxiety, especially if the rest of the sentence is…
“—you can do it.” (But what if I can’t.)
“—you did it before.” (But this is different.)
“—it will work out.” (But we can’t be sure.)
We don’t want to be afraid. Fear affects our thoughts, sleep, appetite, and responses. Sometimes we are afraid to let it go, so we stay stuck—afraid to step out, afraid to try, afraid to trust.
Two Steps to Release Fear
Letting go of fear is a two-step process. The first step is to release your grip on it. Yet, to simply let go does not get us where we need to be. We need something else.
Step two is to figure out where to transfer our grip. It must be to something strong enough to support us. It cannot be an emotion. It cannot waver in the storms of life. It must be something that puts our minds and hearts to rest. It must be proven and true. It must be something outside of ourselves.
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you” (Isa. 41:10). God’s reminder is that it is about Him, not me. He gives all He is for all we need anytime, anywhere. He fills the gap when we are weak, or when others fail. He encourages us to hang on to His sufficiency.
God can say, “Do not be afraid,” because He is not afraid. He is bigger than anything and anyone in life. He is dependable. He plans everything with a purpose. He knows the end of the story. His presence, love, and wisdom are always sufficient.
I have assurance that I am safe when I grab Christ’s hand just like I grabbed my dad’s hand when I was a child. Christ’s hand is familiar, comfortable, secure, and strong. He is the reason I can let go of fear. Christ offers stability so I feel secure. He shows kindness so I feel cherished. He protects so I can rest.
Christ Shields Us from Fear
“Fear may fill our world, but it doesn’t have to fill our hearts,” said Max Lucado. The most important and lasting protection from fear is to get to know Christ a little more each day.
- The more we know Him, the more we trust Him
- The more we trust Him, the more we think about Him
- The more we think about Him, the more we keep an eternal perspective
- The more we think of eternity, the more we represent Him today with courage
The scary things—no matter how overwhelming they may seem—are just blips on the forever timeline. Today’s challenges fade in the bright hope of eternity.
We’re Protected by His Promises
Uncertainty, confusion, and worry come at us every day as we navigate our private and global worlds. These are designed by the Enemy to make us shrink and retreat. But take courage. We have a battle plan strategized by God Himself! When the harmful arrows come at us, we can raise our shields and swords with confidence, knowing the power in us is greater than the power around us. Let faith and truth do their job to block the arrows. (Eph. 6:10–18)
God has provided strong armor through His promises (Prov. 3:5, Phil. 4:19, Phil. 4:6, Jer. 29:11, Rom. 8:28). He cannot, has not, and will not break, ever. Nothing can stand against Him.
Choose to trust Him with everything in you—no matter what is going on around you. Why? Because He is God, and He delights in showing the greatness of His goodness to you.
It Takes Courage to Represent Christ
It was the first week back to work after a three-week break. Within the first few hours, I was drained from trying so hard to stand for Him and feeling like I was losing the battle. I went to bed at 5:30 p.m., pulled the covers over my head, and never wanted to come out.
In a couple of hours, I (inaudibly) heard the whisper of Christ. “Connie, have the same attitude in you that is in Me. Imitate Me. I’m here to help you.” I threw back the covers, said, “You’re right!” and opened my Bible to Phil. 2:3–15, letting His example soak into my soul.
Christ reminded me that He did not give up. He reminded me to keep serving with courage.
God’s presence, Christ’s example, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and our strong armor give assurance of our protection, so we have courage to do the right thing, not the easy thing. We can find courage to shine a different light—a light of servanthood from a heart of humility, and a light of wisdom from a lifetime of lessons.
With that courage, we can represent Christ to a world that needs Him. I am energized when I stay focused on that purpose. Christ stayed focused on His purpose even through the crucifixion, the most horrific experience. What courage!
The next time I feel afraid, I will remind myself to imitate Christ with boldness and freedom because I know I am called to His purpose and “God works for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28).
The Bible Speaks to Courage
Years ago, during a difficult time, my trust in God was challenged like never before. I needed constant reminders that He was trustworthy, so I listed as many verses as I could find and kept them with me. If you are going through a difficult time, I suggest reading and meditating on one of these verses each day.
They all boil down to the first step of protection, which is knowing Jesus. Find your courage in Christ. The more you know Him, the more you will have confidence that He is with you always and that you can trust Him in all things.
Deuteronomy 31:6,8
Joshua 1:5,8,9
Job 23:10
Psalm 9:9–10
Psalm 16:8,9,11
Psalm 18:29.
Psalm 22:5
Psalm 27:13–14
Psalm 28:7,9
Psalm 29:11
Psalm 30:11
Psalm 31:3,7,19,24
Psalm 32:8
Psalm 34:7,10,18
Psalm 36:7
Psalm 37:5,7,24,28
Psalm 40:4–5
Psalm 46:1,10
Psalm 52:8.
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 59:10
Psalm 62:1,5
