Fighting Fear With Friendship

When I am afraid, I will trust in you LORD. – Psalm 56:3

What’s your biggest fear? Is it dying, or the death of someone you love? Is it being left alone or financially broke? How about public speaking, or being attacked in an alleyway? Is it receiving a bad medical report or that life-changing 3am phone call? 

Fear is unwelcome and uninvited, yet it still invades our lives.

Last Thursday afternoon, the unimaginable happened here in Colorado when an angry driver gunned down a mom and her sons right before they walked into a dentist’s. Road rage quickly turned to devastation, leaving the thirteen-year-old son dead and a mother and her young child lying on the ground, fighting for their lives. A family history forever changed by a moment of meaningless unbridled anger.

My heart breaks just imagining what the father felt when he answered his cell phone and heard the news. Grief, loss, anger and fear must have instantly overwhelmed. I hope and pray he doesn’t blame God. 

God is not the author of these moments of rage. He is, instead, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). God’s word tells us to rid ourselves of anger, rage and malice and instead put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:8,12).

On the other hand, it’s our enemy, Satan who is the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Just the opposite of Jesus who came to give us an abundant life, full of grace, freedom, love and joy. 

So what do we do when fear invades our lives?

We can do three things:

#1 Thank - We can thank God for each day and every breath. We don’t know the number of our days, each one is a gift from Him. 

#2 Love - We can love our family and friends intentionally with our words and actions. They are gifts from God to us. 

#3 Trust - We can trust God to walk with us through both the good times and the horrific ones. His presence is a gift and is available anytime, anywhere. 

Trusting God is a lifelong process. Each time a new fear arises, our trust in Him is tested. Like working a muscle, when we choose to trust God and walk by faith, not by sight, we are strengthening our ability to trust Him in the future. Yes, you can toughen up every time you trust God through troubled times. 

I have found one secret to trusting God more is to simply see Jesus as your best friend.  

Like a best friend, spend time talking to Jesus throughout your day. Ask Him for His advice, invite Him into your decisions, laugh and cry with Him, and express your love to Him often. Growing closer to Jesus will increase your trust in God and help you fight fear when it shows up uninvited and unwelcomed.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World

Thank you for being a part of The 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement