Most people have something that they are afraid of. Maybe not terrified, mind you, but something causes them to feel anxiety or fear. For some people, it’s spiders or snakes. For others, it might be the fear of heights. Others might cringe at the sight of blood, or fear needles at the doctor’s office. Even the strongest of men have fears. One man admitted that, “I was never really afraid of anything except getting up in front of others to give a speech. I honestly would’ve rather have faced a firing squad!” Now that’s fear!
So now that we know that almost everyone has a fear of something, can anything be done to help overcome it? Years ago, Walter Anderson, editor of parade magazine, wrote a book about coping with anxiety. He wrote,” Of all the successful people I’ve known and written about in the book, it’s not just that they learned to live with and cope with anxiety, they’ve learned to live better because of their fear.” It kind of sounds like the Apostle Paul, who admitted in 1 Corinthians 2:3 that he went to Corinth with his message “in fear and with much trembling.” The point is that even though Paul was afraid, he did Yahweh’s work anyway by depending on the power of the Holy Spirit (see verse 4).
Think about the things that make you afraid. Is there someone at work who intimidates you? Is there something you feel you can’t handle? The best thing to do is admit that you are afraid, call upon Yahweh for help, and face it anyway. Many times our weaknesses are an opportunity for Yahweh to show us His strength. Yahweh is the true source of courage to His people.
Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 in its entirety, and reflect particularly on verse 3. Consider that trust turns fear into triumph. Do the following exercise. Get a piece of paper and write: I’m not afraid to admit that I’m afraid of _____________________. Then write out an action plan as to how you are going to overcome the fear. Ask yourself; What am I going to do about it? Do I really believe that Yahweh can help me in any situation? How am I going to show Him today that I trust Him?
Keep in mind that you may never fully overcome a phobia. Most fears are absolutely legitimate. Some fears are there to protect us—like the fear of poisonous snakes because it helps you to avoid poisonous snakes, therefore preventing you from getting bitten! But you certainly can reduce your fear so that it does not rule your life. That’s where the power of the Holy Spirit comes in. Actively pray that Yahweh will help you in this area.
Know that Yahweh loves you and is in control of your life. It’s important to overcome any sins you may have because sins can separate us from Yahweh. In our dying world today, the last thing we want is to allow anything to come between us and Yahweh. We need all the help we can get nowadays. Let’s all depend on Yahweh’s strength to get us through!