Faith and Fear
“For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” - 2 Timothy 1:7
Faith and Fear have one thing in common - they both believe in a future that hasn’t happened.
Our church has been going through the book of Mark and a portion that has stuck with me was the incident of our Lord walking on water.
It wasn’t so much the miraculous act of walking on water that stuck with me, rather the disciples’ reactions and our Lord’s dealing with them that did.
Here’s the passage of the incident:
Mark 6: 47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. 48 He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, he came to them walking on the sea, for he wanted to pass by them.49 When they saw him walking on the water they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 Then he went up with them into the boat, and the wind ceased. They were completely astonished, 52 because they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Just like the disciples who were facing a storm in the middle of the sea, each of us is facing our own storms in life. And just like the disciples, at this moment we have a choice - we can either choose faith or fear.
Faith that our Lord will carry us through, or fear that we have been abandoned.
Faith and Fear have one thing in common - they both believe in a future that hasn’t happened.
How often do we let fear set in, and instead of looking to God, we rely on our strength and would be “straining at the oars” like the disciples did, trying to make it through?
I am definitely guilty of that.
However, I am encouraged that we do not have to face this life alone, for we have our Lord that we can rely on.
He will carry us through.
Are we anxious about trials in life? The Lord is saying to each of us, just as He said to the disciples “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
A challenge to us - Are we going to rest on His promise? or are we going to ignore His promise and continue to strain our oars against the wind?
Notice that the disciples chose to receive the Lord into their boat and we read that immediately “the wind ceased”.
Likewise, when we receive our Lord to take control of the situation and fight our battles, we will experience the peace that He promised.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” - John 14:2
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure - Hebrews 6:19
As a husband, as a leader at work, and in my personal life, I face difficult moments.
In these moments, I can react with fear or face it with faith.
I am reminded that I can choose faith over fear.
Having faith that my Lord will carry me through.
To trust in Him, that everything will work out according to His will.
To ask Him for guidance and rest on His promises.
To experience the peace that He has promised to each of His believers.
To choose Faith over Fear.
Our Lord could say to us “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world, you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.” - John 16:33
Here’s a beautiful hymn that I have been enjoying - Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor
I hope that this will be an encouragement to someone this week.
“Christ the sure and steady Anchor
In the fury of the storm
When the winds of doubt blow through me
And my sails have all been torn
In the suffering, in the sorrow
When my sinking hopes are few
I will hold fast to the Anchor
It shall never be removed
Christ the sure and steady Anchor
While the tempest rages on
When temptation claims the battle
And it seems the night has won
Deeper still then goes the Anchor
Though I justly stand accused
I will hold fast to the Anchor
It shall never be removed
Christ the sure and steady Anchor
Through the floods of unbelief
Hopeless somehow, oh my soul, now
Lift your eyes to Calvary
This my ballast of assurance
See his love forever proved
I will hold fast to the Anchor
It shall never be removed
Christ the sure and steady Anchor
As we face the wave of death
When these trials give way to glory
As we draw our final breath
We will cross that great horizon
Clouds behind and life secure
And the calm will be the better
For the storms that we endure
Christ the sure of our salvation
Ever faithful, ever true
We will hold fast to the Anchor
It shall never be removed”