Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
We can conquer fear with faith. When our thoughts tell us “You can’t,” we should remember that God says “You can” and echo Paul’s declaration in Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (NKJV). Even when we feel fear, we can move forward in faith, knowing that Christ is in us and we are in Him.
When Peter saw Jesus walking on water and wanted to do the same, he climbed out of the boat and began taking steps. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he did indeed walk on water. But when he focused on the waves around him, he grew frightened and started to sink. Jesus reached out and saved him, but He also lovingly rebuked him for his great fear and his little faith (Matthew 14:25–31). Peter could have chosen faith and continued walking on water, but he chose fear instead, and Jesus had to rescue him. The feeling of fear will never completely disappear from our lives, but whatever we need to do, we can “do it afraid” and be courageous as we keep our eyes on Jesus. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is confronting and mastering fear.
Sometimes we don’t see how we could possibly have faith, but these are the times we must refuse to follow fear, with God’s help.
God never stops loving us and doesn’t become angry with us because we choose fear, but it does make Him sad, because He wants us to live the best life we can live. Throughout His Word, He instructs us not to fear, and He will give us the grace and strength to do it.
Prayer of the Day: Thank You, God, for the gift of faith. When I am tempted to be afraid, help me choose faith instead.
