People are afraid of snakes, but not all snakes are harmful. Many people fear flying in an airplane, but air travel is, for the most part, very safe. Good swimmers can be afraid of deep water, wondering what might be down there below them. Fear is an emotional and physical response to something we perceive as dangerous or harmful. A healthy, legitimate fear must have two parts: it must be present and powerful. For example, the fear of swimming in deep water could be legitimate if the person is swimming in shark-infested waters. The fear of something attacking is both present and powerful.
The fear of sharks while swimming in a neighborhood swimming pool is not legitimate. This would be called an unhealthy or irrational fear.
An unhealthy fear lacks presence or power. A fear of snakes may be legitimate if you live in an area with venomous snakes. They are both present and powerful. However, this becomes an unhealthy fear if you live without snakes that can harm you. They may be present, but they lack power. Continuing to fear the harmless snakes results from believing a lie that the harmless snakes will hurt you.
The base of every unhealthy fear is a lie.
Unhealthy fears can consume and overwhelm our thoughts to the point we can’t function well in life. We then miss out on the abundant life the Lord has for us in Christ.
Understanding healthy and unhealthy fears is helpful. There is no shame in being afraid when fear is legitimate. However, unhealthy fears are not based on truth. We still perceive something as dangerous, even though it lacks the power to harm us or is not present.
Our enemy, Satan, wants to paralyze us with fear-filled lies. He is the father of lies. Remember, as children of God, we are never alone, and we have the power to fight the father of lies. We overcome unhealthy fears by standing firm in the truth.
Reflect and Respond:
God is right by your side anytime you feel afraid. Discern what kind of fear you are dealing with today. If it is unhealthy, identify the lie behind it. Find scriptural truths to counter that lie. Memorize those truths and repeat them often.
Pray:
Lord, you care about all I am afraid of today. Help me to take my unhealthy fears and hand them over to you. I choose to turn to you when I am afraid. I stand in my position as your child and trust you to protect me.
“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! [Romans 8:15-17 MSG]
““If God were your father,” said Jesus, “you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn’t come on my own. He sent me. Why can’t you understand one word I say? Here’s why: You can’t handle it. You’re from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone on God’s side listens to God’s words. This is why you’re not listening—because you’re not on God’s side.”” [John 8:42-47 MSG]
“Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around, stomped on every day. Not a day goes by but somebody beats me up; They make it their duty to beat me up. When I get really afraid I come to you in trust. I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God. What can mere mortals do?” [Psalms 56:1-4 MSG]
“We know that none of the God-born makes a practice of sin—fatal sin. The God-born are also the God-protected. The Evil One can’t lay a hand on them. We know that we are held firm by God; it’s only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One. And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God—what a gift!—and we are living in the Truth itself, in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus is both True God and Real Life. Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles.” [1 John 5:18-21]