We’ll probably always have to deal with fear in one form or another. Anxiety is a natural response to our circumstances. Things like exams, job interviews, and health issues can all cause us to fear. But we don’t have to let fear overcome us. Sometimes fear can become such a stronghold in our lives that we need some help from other people, such as counsellors, to deal with it. But at all times, we need to try and remember what God says to us about not being afraid, and ask Him to give us His peace. If we let fear control us, it can keep us from living to the full. Fear can stop us doing things which are outside of our comfort zone, which, in turn, can cause us to fear those things more. It’s a cycle. But there are a plenty of verses in the Bible which can help us break this cycle: 1) ‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you’ (Isaiah 26:3 NIV). 2) ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’ (John 14:27 NIV). 3) ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation…present your requests to God’ (Philippians 4:6 NIV). 4) ‘In God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ (Psalm 56:4 NIV). 5) ‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline’ (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV). To help us deal with fear we can take these verses on board, memorise them, pray about them, and repeat them when fear starts to rise. 

What Now?

Choose one of the verses in today’s reading. Write it out, memorise it, say it out loud, and ask God to help you use it to deal with fear.