When we feel fear, we might think we’ve failed as a Christian. After all, we’re told so many times throughout the Bible not to be afraid. But it’s not the feeling of fear that’s bad, it’s our response to the fear that can cause us problems. When we let our fears stop us from doing things for God, they’ve overtaken our lives. But we can actually take our feelings of fear and use them to help us go forward. Most negative emotions can be converted into something positive to help us get further in life. If we’re afraid of not having enough, we can convert it into a good work ethic. If we’re afraid of insignificance, we can convert it into a passion for serving others. We can turn our lives around by using our fear to do something worthwhile. However much we’d like a life with no fear at all, we probably won’t experience that. But we can choose how we respond to our fears. In Philippians it says: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (vv.6-7 NIV). When we hand our fear over to God, He can replace it with peace. And when we’re going through situations which are making us feel afraid, we can respond to the fear with faith because we know we’ve got a God who comforts, guides and never leaves us. So, when we feel fear, let’s respond with faith, give the fears over to God, and convert the fear into something useful for God’s kingdom.
