WRITTEN BY DR. JIM GRASSI
I grew up during some very tumultuous times in East Oakland. Our school overflowed with violence, hatred, and fear during the racial wars of the 1950s. We had regular air-raid drills because of the threat of nuclear attack. We risked catching polio if we hung around stagnant water and chanced being jumped by fellow classmates if we walked home from school. Fear gripped the souls and spirits of many young people and still does. Today’s youth have faced similar threats by different names – active shooter, Covid-19, hate crimes, and cyber bullying – and fear still lingers in the shadows, like a lurking lousy companion. Fear can mature with time, too.
I eventually graduated from college, married the love of my life, excelled in graduate school, and was successful at whatever I put my hand to, including being on the bass tournament circuit, teaching college part-time, writing for outdoor magazines, and starting a fishing television show. I worked hard to overcome my inferiority complex by trying to be important. Fear was still lurking in the recesses of my mind.
Fear is a natural emotion that grabs our attention. It can protect us – help us avoid danger, take necessary precautions, and make rational decisions. But that is healthy fear. It can stretch us and grow our faith. Fear can also take us into a fantasy future world where doubt, worry, and anxiety stalk us. Too much time spent with fear, and it grows into distress, dread, and even terror. This unhealthy fear spawns from a fear of fully trusting God and settles into many forms: Fear of change, the unknown, rejection, failure, intimacy, commitment, loss, injury, death, and so many more. It can rob us of our peace, keep us from achieving our goals, hurt our health, ruin relationships, and kill dreams.
In The Magic of Thinking Big, David J. Schwartz emphasizes that fear is success-enemy number one. When we give in to it – we agree with it – we give it power over us, often making foolish decisions and doing foolish things. If you have children, you’ve probably had the opportunity to comfort your child in the midst of their fears. In the same way, our Heavenly Father comforts and encourages us.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
He’s not harsh or demanding with us, but He wants us to trust Him even in times of crisis. We can’t see the end from the beginning like God. When we cast out fear and fully trust God, we welcome His strength, His refuge, and His best for our lives.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 62:1-8
Personal Application: Fear produces wrong thinking, and wrong thinking keeps you from God’s best. Agree with what God says about you: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Do you fully trust God with your life? What fears do you need to cast out?
- Taken in part from Overcoming Barriers Men Face: Biblical Thoughts on Issues Confronting Men Today by Jim Grassi
Jim Grassi, D. Min.
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5