Fear and Faith

People have been all out of sorts with all the chaos surrounding the recent storm that devastated NC. Some people have lost their lives, others have lost everything they owned, while others simply endured some wind and rain. Folks have been all over the spectrum, in regards to their responses and reactions to the storm. Some worried and were fearful over the damage the storm would do. This seems like the most reasonable response to a storm that wrecked havoc from one end of NC to the other. Would we fault someone for being fearful in the face of a catastrophic storm? Probably not. As the storm barreled towards NC with all the speed of a herd of turtles, I could tell that one of our boys was a little anxious about the impending storm. Neither of our sons have had to worry about a hurricane affecting them in their short life, but one son was a little concerned about how the storm would affect us. Misty and I tried to calm the anxieties as best we could as parents and we hoped we did a good job. Just moments after dropping my boys off at school I heard a person on the radio share something about fear. Addressing the worries that so many people had about the storm, she shared about how fear and faith cannot occupy the same space. The wisdom shared for the next few moments was wisdom I could give to my sons to help put them at ease.

Fear and faith are like oil and water. The two cannot mix and must occupy two separate places. If we have faith that God is sovereign (in control of all things; Psalm 115:3, 135:6) and that He has our best interest in mind (Romans 8:28), then fear has no place in us. We should not be fearful of the physical, financial, or spiritual storms in life if we have faith that God is in control. We cannot waffle back and forth claiming God's goodness and blessings when things are good and then retreat to fear when things are uncertain. We must choose which one, faith or fear, will take up the limited space inside of us.

I realize when the world is literally crashing down around you in the middle of a hurricane, it is easier said than done to choose faith over fear. Friday morning I woke up to the news of the devastation the hurricane had caused to coastal NC. We have family and friends living in the areas devastated by the storm. At the thoughts of what could be happening to a man I consider a brother and his wife, I allowed my fear and worry to get the better of me for a moment. Then I remembered the words from the radio. The same words I had reassured my son with just days before. I made the decision in that moment to not allow fear to overcome my faith in God's sovereignty, His protection, and His provision. It wasn't easy. It was much easier to worry, fret, and allow fear to consume me. But in that moment when I chose faith over fear, I felt the peace that is described in Philippians 4:7 (NIV). It says, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

The next time fear tries to rob you of the joy found in trusting God, remember you have a choice to make. You can allow yourself to be consumed by worry and fear, going directly against what God tells us in the Bible (Isaiah 41:10, 41:13), or you can choose to trust the One who created you, loves you, and sustains you. Choose wisely though, because you can't choose both fear and faith.


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