I have a pretty strong propensity towards fear. Some of the things I’m afraid of seem normal. For example, spiders. The fear isn’t logical - my dad used to remind me all the time that I’m roughly 50x bigger than those nasty eight-legged arachnids, have ultimate power over them, and therefore fear as a response is irrational - but regardless, they’re gross and I hate them. Some of the things I’m afraid of are definitely not normal. Abandonment, for instance. That fear is ungrounded yet deeply rooted in my psyche and wreaks all kinds of havoc on my people-pleasing tendencies.
Fear is a universal human emotion. I know this because I am a human, all my family are humans, and even my friends too. I’ve yet to meet one person whose words and/or actions haven’t been motivated by fear at some point in time. However, that is not to say all fear is bad. Sometimes it serves us, protecting us from harmful situations and forcing us to reconsider questionable choices. But, more times than not, we serve fear. Our emotions and mental capacities are enslaved by hypotheticals that debilitate us from ever moving forward.
Scripture is not silent about fear because God is not silent about it. He has made some pretty strong declarations throughout history about the authority of fear in our lives.
“...fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“...for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he [Jesus] spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’” Mark 6:50
“‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’” John 14:27
“...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18
There is no alternative interpretation of these passages. God feels strongly about fear, and it’s not a positive feeling. Again and again he commands us to reject it wholly. I can mentally assent to that. I accept it. God is love, love cannot coexist with fear, therefore I choose God and fear scrams. It’s a simple equation really. The problem is it rarely plays out that way in practice. At least not for me.
This is why our new song ‘Not Afraid’ has been rocking my world. The lyrics are straight out of Isaiah 43 and Psalm 139. Compare these passages with the lyrics below:
“‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.’” Isaiah 43:1b-3a
“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” Psalm 139:5,7,11-12
Not Afraid
I have this confidence because I’ve seen the faithfulness of God
The still inside the storm, the promise of the shore
I trust the power of Your Word enough to seek Your kingdom first
Beyond the barren place, beyond the ocean waves
When I walk through the waters I won’t be overcome
When I go through the rivers I will not be drowned
My God will make a way so I am not afraid
When I am in the fire I will not feel the flame
I’ll stand before the giant declaring victory
My God will make a way so I am not afraid
You keep the promises you make, there isn’t one that is delayed
So I will not lose heart, here I will lift my arms
And start to sing into the night, my praise will call the sun to rise
Declare the battle won, declare that it is done
Before me, behind me, always beside me
No shadow, no valley where you won’t find me
No, I am not afraid
I don’t choose God once and my fear forever vanishes. I choose God daily, and my fear weakens. I speak this Scripture in my heart and mind over and over and over again, and the foundations of fear crack and splinter under the weight of glory. I remember the truth of the gospel and celebrate it in communion, and my fear seems powerless in the face of divine power. I sing these words to myself and hear them sung to me and with me by my brothers and sisters on Sunday morning, and my fears are drowned out by a choir of praise.
Will I ever be fully freed from fear? I don’t know. But I do know that the more I look up, the less I feel threatened by what’s around me, real or perceived. I do know the more I sing, the less I’m scared, and my comfort and calmness is centered solely on the cross.
Thank you for helping me to sing my fear into oblivion, friends. I’m excited to continue doing this for each other as we make these words and melody a part of our stories individually and collectively!
