Answers

By   •   April 20, 2005   •   Topics: ,

Q:

Can God help me overcome my fears? I know I shouldn't be this way, but I'm always worrying about what might happen to me or my children, and things like that. Sometimes it's all I can think about. I even have nightmares about bad things that might happen to us.


A:

Yes, God wants to help you overcome these fears. He loves you, and He doesn’t want you to be haunted by constant fear and anxiety. The Bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).

The key is to learn to trust God. I know this sounds simple—but think about it for a moment. If you truly believed God loved you and was in control of your future, would there be any room left for fear? Instead, you’d commit every situation to Him in prayer, and you’d know nothing could happen to you that was outside His control. You’d learn to say with the psalmist, “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear” (Psalm 27:3).

This doesn’t mean you’ll never face problems or dangers; we live in a world that has been touched by evil. But it does mean you can know God is with you every step of the way, and even in times of trouble He won’t abandon you. Jesus warned, “In this world you will have trouble.” But then He added, “But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Begin by asking Christ to come into your life—and He will. Then ask Him to help you trust Him in everything. Your fears may not vanish overnight, but as you commit them to Christ “the peace of God … will guard your hearts and your minds” (Philippians 4:7).