Unshakeable: Facing fears with faith – Part I

Fear has become a constant part of many people’s lives, sometimes to the point of being very crippling and debilitating. So often, you observe even Christians, who, because of fear in their lives, fail to live in the abundant life that Jesus promised.

Scientists have stated that humans are born with only two fears, the fears of falling and of loud noises. So, all other fears, we learn. Once learnt, fear can be a very influential thing that causes our lives to grind to a stop.

Fear is not God’s plan for our life, and since the fears are more than likely learnt, we can also unlearn them. Romans 8:31 (NIV) says, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Here, God is making a statement of dominance. God is bigger and stronger than anything that can come against us. Some of us live with the fear that God is against us, but no matter what our past has been, the truth is that God is for us.

Through Him, we can stand strong against every fear that comes at us.

When we examine the life of David as he triumphs over Goliath the giant, we learn about facing our fears with faith. The story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuels tells that the battle lines were drawn between the armies of Israel and the Philistines. The Philistine giant Goliath gave a challenge to the Israelite army to send out a man to fight him. “Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” (1 Samuel 17: 8-10, NLT). Goliath was huge, strong and intimidating. He started to tease the Israelite army about their belief and faith in God. The Israelite army was afraid: “When Saul (the king of Israel) and the Israelites (the people of God) heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.” For many of us, fears are usually exaggerated and, like giants, seem almost too big to overcome. But God has said, “Fear not, for I am with you.” Isaiah 41:10 (ESV).

‘Goliaths’, or ‘fears’, present themselves to all of us in one form or the other, such as financial pressure, unemployment, family challenges, health challenges, personal security, or others form that are not so common. But in the Bible we read, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT).

But there are times when our fears seem to be giants in our lives and it seems hopeless. So, how do I fight fear, how do I face fear with faith?

When we think about fighting fear, the story of David and Goliath is an inspiration. There are some great lessons that we can learn and use in our lives from this story.

So, join us next week as we consider the lessons we can learn from the story of David and Goliath and how we can use them to fight/face the fears in our lives.