byIn our lives today, fear presents itself in diverse ways: the fear of public speaking, failing or even making mistakes. Some of the things we fear seem inevitable. I quite remember misplacing my glasses back in junior High School. I was so scared that my parents were going to find out, and they would never get me another one. In fact, I lived in anxiety for so long that it was God who helped me get out of it by making my mom confront me. I became so relieved. Had God told me to worry not, and that I would get six different glasses from my parents three years from then, I would not have believed it, but that was the truth.
When we are told not to fear, it comes with being told to be courageous. These words have been said to so many people in the Bible. Has it been told to you? If you have never heard Him say it, then today, God is telling you not to worry. What does God mean when He says, “fear not”? Why should you “fear not”? What happens when you live in anxiety? These might be some of the questions on your mind, but as you follow through to the end of this article, the Lord will have them answered.
What does “fear not” mean?
One way or the other, we might have come into contact with fear. It is that emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight). Let’s say you did not study adequately for an exam and the result is out, or let’s say you have visited the hospital and you are showing symptoms of a severe disease. You’re not dumb; you know the result of unpreparedness for an exam. To fear in these circumstances means you anticipate the failure of the paper or you anticipate the news that you have that disease.
The first mention of this command in the Bible is seen in Genesis 15:1. After Lot—Abram’s nephew, had been captured, and Abraham and his men had gone to their rescue, God spoke to Abraham in a vision to tell him to “fear not.” He had to give Abraham reasons why he should not worry, meaning that apart from those reasons, Abraham might have lived in anticipation of some danger, like his family being kidnapped again or being killed.
To “fear not” means to avoid anticipating anxiety of some specific pain or danger in your life. It is a choice to make. God wants us to decide to live free of any anticipation of pain or danger in our lives, especially as people who seek His Kingdom. Therefore, to “fear not” means to decide to live free of worry every day of your life because God says so.
Why you should not fear
First, God gives us good things and always wants what is best for us. Fear is not one of those things. God gives us power against fear. God creates things by the word of His mouth, so the moment He tells you to worry not, it is as though He empowers the blind to see or the dead to rise. He empowers our very souls not to panic (Romans 8:15, 2 Timothy 1:7).Â
Second, it is a command from God. That is because it is not from Him. Harbouring the spirit of fear means harbouring something that God is against. You disobey God by being afraid. Third, you must not worry because it shows distrust in God and His word. It shows that you don’t take Him seriously. If you trust that God will come through for you, why are you afraid?
When my friend Bridget said she would cook for me, I worried that I would starve that day. Why? Because I do not trust her. Her track record shows she won’t cook the food and hasn’t done it before. The truth is, it will happen to you if you fear it. That is why God does not want you to fear. In essence, when you do not fear, you are obeying God and taking Him by His words, and you will do exploits.
What happens when you live in fear?
Fear stills your growth as a Christian. Nobody in the Bible achieved great things for God while harbouring the spirit of fear. From Moses to Gideon to the Apostles in the New Testament, each one did great things by being brave and courageous. The more you fear, the higher your chances of amounting to nothing in the Kingdom. Also, it is not in God’s nature to fear anything. God does not fear anything. “Without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). He is all-knowing, omnipotent, and omniscient. “He calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Romans 4:17). As children of God, we are of the same DNA as God. We have his very nature (see John 1:12-13). Fearing, therefore, means renouncing the nature and works of God in your life. Yes, I have a level head.
I am not saying nothing is scary in this world. Even the Bible does not say that. Some things may be frightening, but God instructs us not to fear them. The description of angels given in Isaiah 6:2-3 and Ezekiel 1:4-10 is scary. How can a being have four faces? Even with them, God tells us not to panic whenever we see them. How much more that pregnancy you’re hoping for? Or that money you are waiting for? Just do not panic because satan may rob you of the possibility of it happening the moment you choose to be afraid.
Again, fear cripples you. That is why it is the devil’s agenda to instil agitation in us. That is why he can tempt you to sin and make you think that God has removed His hands from you and that whatever you are afraid of will happen to you. When you fear, it dries your faith. You cannot have faith in something you are sure of yourself will not work. That is fun fooling.
In essence, there are some times in life when things get logically frightening. People might play the devil’s advocate by trying to instil distress in you, but God’s word to us is to choose not to fear every one of those times. He has already empowered us against fear when He says, “Fear not!”
