Fear takes many forms.

I used to wonder why my Mom would get so anxious when I got close to the edge of the Grand Canyon or some other potentially dangerous situation. In my teen years, her admonition to be careful got brushed aside by my tendency to think I was invincible. Now that I have kids, I get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when my boys do something similar… like when my son almost slipped over the edge while posing for this picture.

Some fear is legitimate and is actually a gift from God. Certain fears stimulate us to action for the safety and protection of ourselves and loved ones. Sometimes we find ourselves reacting before we even realize that we have been triggered.

But other fear is not God-given. Problems arise when we react in fear to a stimulus that we should thoughtfully respond to instead. A few years ago, when I was talking with my counselor about the hurt I had experienced in church leadership, my counselor told me: “The defense mechanisms you learned as a child no longer serve you well as an adult.” That was worth the price of admission!

Due to issues beyond my control at the time, as a child I learned to read people and situations in an effort to try to manage the outcome and avoid negative consequences. Whenever I sensed danger or displeasure, I learned to take my cues from other people’s emotional state and react in self-protective ways.

I had no idea how this pattern of fear-driven thought and behavior impacted my adult functioning until just a few years ago when I was planting a new church.

During the process of church planting, I was searching for a new location through which we could serve the community we were trying to reach. There was a dying mall in the area, and I thought of many good reasons it could benefit the mall owners and be a safe place for people in the community to receive all kinds of services. But after the third time of ‘prayer walking’ the mall, I still would not talk to the management for an application. Upon further thought, I realized I was hesitating to take action because I was afraid the outcome would not be what I wanted it to be.

A lightbulb went off in my mind. I was trusting more in myself and my ability to present our case to the management than I was trusting in God for the outcome. My fear of a negative outcome led me to try to control people and things which were beyond my right or ability to control.

What developed as a defense mechanism when I was a kid turned into an ingrained pattern of thought.

This insight led me to create a Stronghold Buster to break down this old—and false—pattern of thinking. Based on God’s word, I began to announce the truth that the results of ministry are primarily an outgrowth of spending time with Jesus and following His leading and sovereignty (see John 15:5, Proverbs 19:21 and Daniel 4:17 among others).

I really came to love Daniel 11:32b during that time because it encouraged me not to fear, but to take action while trusting the Lord for guidance and direction. It says, “the people who know their God will be strong, and take action.”

So the question is, “Why should I fear when the Bible says God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind?” (See 2 Timothy 1:7)

Dear Saints, is there a way in which fear is subtly holding you back from taking God-directed action? Is there a situation in which God desires to show His power through you? Is there someone in your life to whom God desires to show His love through your interaction with them? Is there some way in which the Lord is directing you to take wise action through discipline and self-control (a sound mind)?

As Paul said to Timothy, “fan into flame the gift of God… for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord… who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:6-14, ESV)

We need not be afraid or timid as we go about serving the Lord. Remember, you are a beloved child of the all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere present King of the Universe. He is the one who broke the power of sin, death, and the devil, as well as the fear of people, in order that you might be strong, love others, and exercise self-control as you live out your faith.

Why Should I Be Afraid?