Overcoming Fear

My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  --Psalm 73.26

A couple of weeks ago I had my car inspected.  The tech, of course, had to drive it around to make sure all the safety systems were in working order.  When I got back into the car, the radio station had been changed.  I don't know if the auto tech didn't like the news radio station I was listening to when I got there, or if he accidentally hit a pre-set button, or if he preferred Christian music (maybe that was his own attempt at mission evangelism).

Anyway, as I was driving away, I heard a modern worship song that is very popular right now.  I have stood in a mega-church worship service with others in the congregation who had their hands raised and their eyes closed to the message, "My fear doesn't stand a chance when I stand in Your love."

With apologies to all the Rita Springer fans, I don't like that song very much, for a number of reasons.  We might get into some of those reasons a bit later.  I couldn't wait to turn the station, but before I could, the Lord brought to my mind another song that I learned years ago when I was very young.  It was never very popular because it is written in a more operatic style, but it is based on Psalm 27.  "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life, the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid."

Find a Bible and turn to Psalm 27, and read it.  It's not very long; I'll wait.  As you think of that passage, here is an interesting fact: the word "fear" appears in the Bible some 400 times.  We know that the Word of God speaks to our weaknesses.  We can either wallow in our weakness, or we can trust in the Father who told Abraham in a vision in Genesis 15:1, "Fear not, Abram; I am your shield and your exceeding great reward."  We can fail in our fears, or we can trust Jesus the Son of God who said in John 14:27, "My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  We can be awash in anxiety, or we can trust in the Holy Spirit who spoke through the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Fear is paralyzing.  Fear is a consuming fire.  Fear is a result of our fallen condition, and evidence that we are not living by the Spirit, because the Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7,  "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  Think about the last time you were paralyzed with fear.  Did you feel powerful, or powerless?  Did you feel loved, or all alone  Were you able to think clearly (that is, have a sound mind), or were crazy thoughts filling your head?

I said earlier that  didn't like that chorus, "My fear doesn't stand a chance when I stand on Your love."  One of the reasons is in the sentence structure itself.  In English class, we all learned that a sentence has a subject, an action, and sometimes an object.  When you look at that sentence, which is repeated 15 times in that song, what is the subject?  It is "my fear."  If we are going to overcome our fear, we need to place our focus on something else, something besides fear.  Remember when Peter walked on the water?  Jesus called him, Jesus showed him that it could be done and how to do it.  But Peter saw the wind and the waves, and he was overcome by fear. 

First, remember that God is our strength.  Look at Psalm 27:1.  The Lord is my Light.  1 John 1:5 says, "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."  We all know that "things that go bump in the night" almost always happen in the dark, and that's a really scary place to be.  Not only is He our Light, but He is our Salvation.  Remember that we cannot save ourselves.  It is no coincidence that Jesus called us His sheep.  Sheep are dumb, short-sighted, and get lost easily.  One thing we must remember, though, is that sheep are not meant to be load bearing animals.

Second, we know that the world is going to try to eat us up.  Psalm 27:2-3 says, "When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.  Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise against me, yet will I be confident."  We must not be consumed by fear.  Remember Ephesians 5:18, "Do not be drunk with wine...but be filled by the Spirit."  I would rather bow the knee to an awesome God than to have my knees fail as I am consumed by fear.  Malachi 3:6 says, "For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."  We must remember that our faith is not in ourselves, but in our Savior.

Third, we need to stay closer to God than to our fears.  Psalm 27:4-8 says

One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His Temple.  For He will  hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me  under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.  You have said, "Seek my face."  My heart says to You, "Your face, Lord, do I seek."

I think dwelling in the house of the Lord could be a foreshadowing of heaven, but I believe it also speaks to where we are right now.  If we desire always to be in the presence of the Lord, we would revel in His glory, but we can also seek His counsel.  Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Doesn't that sound like seeking His face always?  If we continue in His presence, we can expect to hear His voice. 

Psalm 27:8 says, "You have said to me, 'Seek my face.'  My heart says to You, 'Your face, O Lord, do I seek'."  It reminds me of another popular Christian hymn from my childhood.  "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."  Focus on His glory and grace, and fear melts away.