No matter what your life is like, there’s probably something in it that scares you.
Maybe it’s a stack of unpaid bills or a credit card statement. It might be an upcoming doctor’s visit or that sound your car is making that might be the transmission. Maybe you heard about a violent murder on the news, and now you can’t stop looking over your shoulder. We all have scary things to face, or things that cause us anxiety and worry. But if you’re a Christian, it’s important to know what Jesus says about these feelings.
Jesus spoke often on the topic of fear and worry. Jesus primarily focused on helping his followers manage fear by clinging to the promises in Scripture. Let’s take a look at a few key points from Jesus’ teaching on this issue.
Don’t Be Preoccupied With Material Needs
In Matthew 6:25, Jesus tells His followers not to worry about being able to afford food or clothing. This is a comforting thought, but it’s also a difficult passage for Christians to understand. Does this passage mean that Christians will always have enough money to buy the things they need? Are we guaranteed to never go hungry or be stuck with tattered hand-me-downs?
That would be nice, but it’s not really the point of this passage. Jesus says not to worry about things like food and clothing because physical things are not what life is really all about. When it comes down to it, the Christian life is about spiritual things and our future in heaven. Whatever happens to us here on earth will not change the ultimate outcome of our lives.
Christians should do everything they can to provide for their own material needs. They should also make sure that everyone in their household and family has the essentials they need. If they’re able to do that, Christians should look beyond their family circle to meet the needs of church members, and then at others in the community and the world. However, our primary mental focus shouldn’t be on whether we have the things we need. Rather, we should focus our minds on what really matters for eternity.
Bring Fears About Physical Safety to God
In Matthew 8, Jesus and His disciples are in a boat during a frightening storm. As water begins to wash over the sides of the boat, Jesus’ disciples become scared for their lives. They wake up Jesus, who is sleeping through the storm, and they beg him to save their lives.
Jesus asks them why they are afraid. He stands up and simply tells the storm to stop. When it obeys His command, the disciples are impressed and shocked.
Fears about physical safety can be truly paralyzing. Some people get so much anxiety from driving or riding in a car that they can’t stop thinking about the accident that might happen at any moment. Other people hear about rampant crime or violence on the news and find that they can never really feel safe, even in their own homes. However, it’s important to remember that in all of these matters, Jesus is sovereign. One word from Him could stop even the most devastating crisis. God’s ways are not our ways, and Jesus allows much to happen on the earth that we can’t fully understand. However, when you’re afraid for your safety, Jesus wants to hear about those fears. Bring them to Him in prayer, and commit to accepting whatever situation He may ask you to go through.
Fear Is Often Part Of Doing The Right Thing
In Matthew 26, Jesus is found praying in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly before His execution. Going apart from His disciples, Jesus prays to God and asks for the “cup” of His upcoming death to be taken away from Him. However, Jesus also tells God that He will submit to God’s will, even if His death is not prevented. Jesus’ submission to being tried, tortured and executed was the right thing to do, since it was what His Father in heaven commanded. Jesus was capable of working amazing miracles and could have escaped the upcoming situation, but He chose not to do so.
You might never be in a situation where allowing yourself to be executed is the right thing to do. However, you will probably face situations where doing the right thing is scarier than doing the wrong thing. For example, it can be hard to speak up or leave the room when a group of your friends is choosing to dishonor God. If your boss at work asks you to falsify information on documents or “fudge” some financial numbers, it feels safer to go along with the plan than to refuse. However, sometimes the most frightening option is the one God commands. God hasn’t promised that we won’t face consequences for making the right choices. In fact, Jesus taught that persecution is an expected part of the Christian life. However, we can be assured of God’s presence with us through any trial.
We Should Fear Things That Have Eternal Consequences
In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells His followers not to fear people who can physically kill them. This is really hard to do–after all, death is scary and painful for everyone, including Christians. However, Jesus says we should instead be afraid of the person who can destroy both our souls and our bodies in hell.
This is not a comforting or “feel-good” message, but it is an important one. Those who aren’t believers have reason to be afraid of God. Other people can only hurt us physically, but God can inflict spiritual judgement on people who reject Him.
This should be a fear that motivates us to action: accepting Christ as Savior. No one who does this needs to be afraid of God!
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Harmony Baptist Church in Galesburg, IL is a place for believers to gather and encourage one another. As a church family, we share our struggles and challenges with each other, pray for each other, and support one another in Christ. Visit our ‘Contact’ page to get in touch and plan a visit!
