Fear is a powerful motivator
It can be useful in stopping yourself from being hurt unnecessarily – observe how a young baby will crawl straight off the edge of a step, whereas an older baby will have learnt that lesson and will be more careful.
But it can backfire on us where a bully gets us to follow their agenda through instilling fear in us. We can be shunted by people in different directions, even without realising it, because of fear of pain or missing out on something good.
But how are we to know whether a fear is reasonable or not? The Bible grounds all understanding in God:
‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.’ Proverbs 9:10
Of all the opinions, and all the powers that direct the world, God’s concerns and plans reign supreme. The Bible says that you trust in Christ, you know that God is for you. Paul writes:
‘If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?’ Romans 8:31-32
So, while people and situations may raise up fears within us and life may continue to be hard now, we can come back at these challenges strengthened having reflected upon God. The one we should be most concerned about loves us deeply, and will restore us from all the pain of this life, and grant us all that is good.
– Sam Pursell