Faith and fear are the closest of cousins; both deal with our believing things we cannot see. Through faith we possess the power to hope for all that is possible; it allows us to persevere through dark days and tough times. In fear we find a lack of motivation to move; it paralyzes and keeps us trapped in our despair and inner anxiety.
We all live in various states of these two conditions, and usually cling to a little of both. Jesus came to offer His grace to cover our fear and encourage our faith. As His disciples, we need to let go of the things that scare us and take hold of the possibilities afforded to us through the power of Christ.
Many call faith irrational and cling to their supposedly more scientific views that are wrapped in realism. This is such a limiting view; a realist has clear edges and a determined margin, while a person of faith knows no such boundaries. God has no limits and neither do we who choose to believe in and follow Him. Anything is possible; what is it that God cannot accomplish? We have access to the hosts of Heaven, and Jesus longs to work through us in miraculous ways; we need only believe. Christ once said that if we only had faith as small as a mustard seed we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Faith believes the words of scripture when we read that we can do all things through the strength of Christ (Philippians 4:13).
Fear of the unknown is truly irrational. We become so afraid of what “could” happen that we choose to not even take the chance, regardless of how great the potential reward. We fear failure as if it were a life sentence and ridicule as if it had the ability to do us physical harm. Great men and women throughout history failed consistently before finally meeting with success. Look how many times Peter failed in his life, yet the church of Christ was built around this man. Moses was a murderer and tried giving God every excuse in the book so he wouldn’t have to serve him, yet God still used Him to found a nation. We all tend to fear what we do not know, but Jesus gives us the power to overcome this fear.
Fear is the most debilitating of all diseases, and the only cure is faith. If we choose to live in fear, we will be unable to do the things in life we have been created to accomplish. God has given us all big gifts and large dreams, but we cannot hope to achieve them as long as we are paralyzed by our fear. Jesus told us to “Go”; that is not a term of inaction but rather one of inspired hope. He doesn’t wish for us to stay where we are, afraid to move forward and follow Him. Instead He desires to give us the faith and the courage to take His hand and follow where He leads. In faith there is adventure; in fear there is only the mundane.
Are you letting fear ruin your life? Satan loves to amplify your fears and convince you that the pursuit of your passions would only bring pain and death. Why listen to him when you know all that he speaks is a lie? Instead, take hold of the promises of Christ and boldly move forward in your faith that He will help you through every trial. Don’t relinquish your life to one spent draped in the heaviness of fear. Cloak yourself in the light of faith and believe in all that is possible for you through Christ. He has created you for a purpose and He calls you to action. If you are sickened by your doubt and fear, Jesus is the cure for that. Hold fast to your faith in Him and do not be afraid. Follow Jesus and watch the mountains move in your wake; embrace the adventures of faith.