Being a Christian Does Not Mean You'll Never Experience Fear

I’m a confident person who trusts God, yet as I was wrestling with questions about my life, God’s plans, and my surroundings, I realized that I’ve struggled with fear throughout my life. I discussed it a while back during my segment on Great Day Louisiana.

Last year, I was watching “You’ve Got Mail” with Michael and Oliver in our cozy living room that had just been decorated for fall. We were having a perfectly lovely evening when a scary (and unprompted and unrealistic) thought about Oliver popped into my mind. I did what I’ve done so many times when I felt fear before - I rejected the thought and replaced it with the truth.

A few minutes later, we heard what sounded like a series of gunshots in the distance, and fear came knocking on the doors of my heart and mind again. This time I felt rattled, and the fear I felt at that moment caused me to reflect on God’s plans for Michael and me.

When we started diligently praying about the move we were planning to make to Texas, God started opening doors and stirring things in our hearts that led us to stay here in New Orleans. Once we made that decision, things started happening that immediately confirmed our decision. And when we decided to buy our house, at my suggestion, we both felt immediately at peace with the decision. The home buying process that had been difficult for so many in preceding months was nearly seamless for us, and doors were opened for Michael professionally that will allow us to make the kind of impact we’ve dreamed of making in our work – individually and together.  

I absolutely believe that we’re walking in our purpose here in New Orleans, and when God speaks to me, I write it down because I don’t want to forget it. And in the moments following the sounds we heard in the distance the other night, I remembered something that I wrote down months ago.

I was talking to the Lord about navigating the anxiety I faced at work, and he said, “Just keep your focus on me, and you will not have to be bothered by what’s happening around you.” He did not say that bad things wouldn’t happen; he simply told me to keep my focus on him.

So, Michael and I paused the movie, talked for several minutes, then started praying. First, we started rejecting the fear I was feeling and the entire thread of fear that I realized I’d felt throughout most of my life, and we replaced it with Scripture.

When one of us is stressed, worried, disappointed, scared, etc., we encourage each other to speak scriptures out loud, so we started doing it.

I quoted verses from Psalm 91, Proverbs 3, Psalm 23, Joshua 1, and more, then we turned on worship music and started praying and worshiping the Lord…because guess what! Worship places our focus on God, and His perfect love casts out fear.

I remind myself who God is often. He is my Shield, Protector, Provider, Deliver, Comforter, Lover of My Soul and Keeper of My Life. He’s the way, the truth, and the life. He saw every day of my life before even one of them happened, and he knows everything I’ll experience that I can’t even imagine yet.

While I was praying, I began breaking agreements I had unintentionally made with fear. I reminded my soul that fear cannot stand up to the scrutiny of God’s truth. I also offered myself as much grace and encouragement as I’d offer someone else facing fear.

The fear I’ve felt in different seasons of life has, at times, been valid. A healthy level of fear helps us recognize danger, and we should always seek to live wisely. And the fear I felt last week after hearing gunshots was natural and understandable, but it led me to some important truths that I want to share with you.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you won’t face fear, worry, anxiety, or doubt, nor does it mean that you’ll blindly follow a doctrine, or that you’ll stop experiencing things that are hard. It does mean that you don’t have to carry those burdens because God wants to carry them for you.

And the enemy, Satan, who’s real and persistent, does not have new tricks. He seeks to destroy us, but he only has a few tactics – fear, pride, lust, and greed... but if you’re a Christ-follower, he has no authority in your life unless you give it to him. (I think this topic requires another blog article).

I also want to remind you that the enemy cannot read your thoughts, so when you’re struggling with fear, or whatever it is you’re facing, it’s crucial to speak to that fear out loud and replace it with the truth.

It would be easy to pretend that I don’t struggle, but I’ve been down that road. And walking through life, trying to carry the weight of that facade, was exhausting and unsustainable. I won’t do it again.

Shortly after that fearful moment, when I was visiting with my friend, Michelle, she said something I needed to hear, and I immediately started crying from relief when she said it. She said, “When you’re in the will of God, you’re in the safest place you could ever be in.” I needed to be reminded of that, and I’m thankful for the people in my life who are willing to encourage me in love and truth. (I’ve talked about the importance of that before too).

The enemy is not welcome in my home, my thoughts, my marriage, my family, my work, or any part of my life, and I remind him of that frequently. I’ll continue to guard my thoughts, but I’ll also rest, knowing that God won’t be surprised by anything I’ll encounter.

Do you ever struggle with fear or any of the other things I mentioned? If so, what do you do to combat those feelings?