A Reflection On Fear

When I am overcome with anxiety

Storms swell, sometimes gradually on the horizon, and sometimes suddenly and furiously, without warning. Either way, fear is usually our first reaction. It isn’t that we overestimate the storms; we’ve seen them destroy the lives of other people, so we know they can be damaging. No, our problem is in having an inaccurate view of Jesus. As long as we’re preoccupied with the storm, we will fear. It is a natural—and inevitable—human response.

But Jesus asks us to do the unnatural and avoid the inevitabilities of our human frailties. He asks us to have faith in Him. Yes, the storm is dangerous. Yes, we are weak and vulnerable. Left with those two facts alone, we are overcome. But Jesus gives us another fact to throw into the equation—Himself. He is the King of all creation, God with us. With our eyes fixed on Him, we can say, “What storm? What danger? What weakness?” The storms must obey Him. What do we have to fear?

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Psalm 46:1-2