Overview:
Fear is a universal emotion that can be triggered by rejection, commitment, and change. According to the Bible, David shows us how to manage fears in Psalm 27 by acknowledging that he is fearful but also reminding himself that God can protect him. The key to dealing with fear is to know how to handle it and to whom we should go. God wants us to trust him at all times but especially when we are fearful, and we don't have to feel the pressure of being "fearless" as a Christian because we know God comforts us regardless of our fear.
As a continuation of my column from last week on the sum of all fears, this week I’d like to explore more about the creation of fears. Like primary colors (yellow, blue, and red) form the foundation of all colors, I think there are just three fears that are at the heart of all other fears. In looking at others and at my own life, I think the primary fears are
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of commitment
- Fear of change
When these fears combine, they then might create other fears like
- Fear of being punished
- Fear of being inadequate
- Fear of being controlled
- Fear of being alone
- Fear of being forgotten
- Fear of being ignored
- Fear of being close or intimate with others
- Fear of being hurt
- Fear of the unknown/known
I think the key to dealing with any fear is knowing how to handle it and to whom we should go.
The Bible gives examples of characters who struggled with fears but who showed the importance of taking our fears and anxieties to God. In fact, David makes references to those fears in well-known passages of scripture like Psalm 3. He shows us how to manage fears in Psalm 27. Verses 1-2 state, “The Lord is my light, and my salvation so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” He acknowledges that he is fearful, but he also reminds himself that God can protect him.
Later in verses 7-10 of this same psalm, David pleads, “Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, Lord, I am coming. Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.” He also repeats his many fears: fear of being rejected, fear of being abandoned, and fear of being ignored.
He ends Psalm 27 with these familiar words, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” By ending it with these encouraging words, he’s showing us a key to managing our fear: when we are fearful, it’s important that we have more patience and trust in God. Yet, many of us have less patience when we are fearful, unsure, and anxious. God wants us to trust him at all times but especially when we are fearful.
Here’s a secret: God knows when we are fearful even when we don’t want to admit it to him or anybody else. The remarkable thing about being a Christian is that we don’t have to feel the pressure of being “fearless” because we know God comforts us regardless of our fear. 2 Corinthians 3-4 says that God is the “God of all comfort” and that he comforts us so we can then comfort others. In these uncertain times when fear and anxiety seem to be the primary emotions that many are expressing, I hope that we remember look to David’s example, lean into God and seek more of His presence.
Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @shewandawrites.