Fear can be your foe or your friend. When you find yourself in the path of a frightening storm – whether figurative or literal – it can be a paralyzing force spiraling you down into the depths of darkness … or a propelling motivator moving you to higher ground. As the storm approaches, fear can be like a deadbolt lock keeping your mind confined … or like a loud alarm warning you to move to safety.

What role does this emotion play in your life?

Immobilizer or energizer … foe or friend? What you do in the face of fear identifies its role in your life. Instead of being paralyzed, allow your fear to move you to entrust your life to the Lord. Come to see the Lord as your only place of safety. He promises that He will not only be with you, but that He will also lead you through your frightening worries. Whether fleeting or chronic, God will be with us through His Holy Spirit as our Great Comforter every step of the way.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
(Isaiah 43:1-2)

• Fear is a strong emotional reaction to perceived imminent danger that is characterized by a fight, flight, or freeze response.
• It can be real or imagined, rational or irrational, normal or abnormal.
• Fear acts as a protective device placed in us by our Creator to activate all our physical systems when faced with real danger. Fear triggers the release of adrenaline in the body, which propels us to action—action often called “fight or flight.”
• Fear is a natural emotion designed by God. However, fearfulness is not designed by God, for fearfulness implies living in a state of fear. The Greek word occasionally translated “fear” is deilia, which denotes cowardice and timidity and is never used in a positive light in the Bible.
• Living with a fear-based mentality or with a spirit of fear is not from God.