God Knows Why We’re Afraid and Promises to Help Us Through It

Inside: The presence of fear doesn’t equal a lack of faith. The Old Testament story of Joshua demonstrates this and helps us move forward when we are afraid. ~

I once asked my dad what I was like as a kid.

“You were always very fearful,” he said.

This bit of information was sad but not surprising, given my childhood propensity for worrying.

While my fretting ways followed me well into my 20s, the stranglehold worry once had on me is mostly a thing of the past. That said, fear still infiltrates my heart and mind from time to time—in frustrating and unproductive ways.

Fear Not

While in certain instances fear is good and helpful, it’s also part of the broken wiring we all have due to the fallen nature of humanity. God knows this, which might be why “fear not” is one of the most oft-stated instructions in the Bible.

But have you ever noticed that it’s not a command that comes with impending punishment if it’s not followed? Instead, it’s the reassuring statement of a loving heavenly Father, who also happens to be the sovereign God of the universe.

When He tells us not to be afraid, we can rest assured that we have no need to be afraid.

And yet so often we are—for reasons far and wide, real and imagined, logical and irrational

Even Warriors Are Afraid Sometimes

One of my favorite biblical personalities is Joshua, Moses’ assistant and eventual successor. One thing that has always intrigued me about his story is how often God reminded him not to be afraid (see Deuteronomy 31 and Joshua 1).

I can’t help but wonder why. Yes, the Israelites faced seemingly insurmountable challenges as they prepared to enter and conquer the Promised Land. Yes, Joshua was about to fill some enormous shoes.

But why was he, of all people, so afraid?

He had been with Moses for 40 years in the wilderness, after all. He’d witnessed the deliverance from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of water and manna. He’d gone up the mountain with Moses and experienced the glory of the Lord (see Exodus 24:13).

You’d think all that would be enough to bolster someone’s courage, wouldn’t you?

When Faith and Fear Coexist

Did God ever tell Moses not to be afraid? I don’t think so—not in so many words. Moses had his faults—a temper, for one—but fear didn’t appear to be a struggle for him. But Joshua was different.

Maybe it had something to do with his personality. He was a great warrior, a strong leader, a person who wasn’t afraid to stand alone. But perhaps Joshua also was the contemplative sort, someone who needed more divine encouragement than his confident mentor.

According to Exodus 33, all the people were invited to visit the tent of meeting and “consult with the Lord,” but only Moses and Joshua actually did this. The fact that Joshua “would not leave the inside of the tent” even after Moses left suggests that he valued his time in God’s presence and recognized the true source of his strength.

Certainly, his life demonstrates what I wrote about here—that fear and faith can coexist in the same person (no matter what the clichés say).

God’s Gentle Response

Only God knows why Joshua apparently struggled with fear. And I love this about God.

He didn’t berate Joshua for being scared, question his faith or interrogate him about how he could possibly be afraid after all he’d witnessed and experienced with Moses. He simply repeated truth that Joshua needed to know and told him not to be afraid.

That was all.

Fear is Not Our Boss

I’m a tiny bit like Joshua, I think. I love spending time in the tent of meeting. I gain strength and comfort from praising God. And, as I’ve already mentioned, I also struggle with feelings of fear at times.

But regardless of the source—an actual threat, imbalanced body chemicals, a lack of sleep, my own misperceptions, irrational thinking—these feelings are not the boss of me.  Or of you either.

Fear becomes a problem when it leads us to do something we shouldn’t do or keeps us from doing something we should do. When we fail to ask questions or speak truth to loved ones because we’re afraid of how they might respond. When we bury ourselves in our phones instead of exercising or meeting a new friend for coffee. When we don’t volunteer for something because we’ve never done it before, or because we think someone else can do it better. When we stay home from a church service that might encourage us spiritually because we don’t think we’ll know anyone or any number of other reasons.

When Fear Turns to Faith

Fear turns to faith when, despite our feelings, we take a deep breath and open our mouths to speak. We put down our devices. We fill out those volunteer forms. We put smiles on our faces and walk into that crowded room. 

No matter what fear—real or imagined—assails, God’s loving promise for Joshua is also true for us today: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut. 31:8).

♥ Lois

P.S. This is a revised version of a post that originally appeared here in May 2016. I’m linking up this week with Inspire Me Monday, #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.