The Unexpected Cure for Fear: Facing Fear Series
F.E.A.R. It’s a four-letter word. A word I associate with two other words. DO NOT. God does not want us to fear. Truth. Solid truth. And because I have lived in an anxious world of “what ifs” fearful thoughts have been known to overtake me.
I have been on a mission to understand fear. I feel like I am in a biology class dissecting every part of the word. I have spent hours looking up every reference to fear in my concordance and writing out each verse. I want to know…
What is healthy fear versus unhealthy fear?
How can I know the difference?
Understanding fear will help me to know when fear becomes unhealthy, resulting in anxiety and lack of trust in God.
Is all fear sin? Of course not. Healthy fear isn’t sinful.
I’ve discovered through counseling that I have a tendency to label all my negative emotions as sinful–the raw human emotion that is felt naturally. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. Fear. When these emotions arise it feels like I am sinning. And most of the time, I am sinning. When I allow my feelings to take over and let anxiety rule, then I am not trusting in God. But there are times when it’s part of the natural human response to circumstances.
Healthy fear protects us from harm
Like that natural instinct that prevents us from getting too close to a bear. I felt that fear as my husband took this picture from our car! Being afraid of a bear is a normal human reaction. Being afraid of fire prevents us from getting burned.
During the transfiguration of Christ, when the glory of God was revealed to Peter, James, and John, the voice of God spoke through a cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
I believe the disciples’ reacted the way anyone would upon seeing the glory and power of God. And yet, even though it is a normal human reaction, God does not want us to be afraid.
Jesus touched the disciples and told them not to be afraid.
Fear that turns into worry, stress or anxiety can be a result of not trusting in God’s ultimate provision and care for us. This kind of fear is unhealthy. And that is why the Bible tells us over and over again not to be afraid.
The Hebrew word for fear is yare, (Strong H3372) and it carries a number of meanings. There is both the definition of being “terrified” along with the definition of having “reverence” and “awe.”
The Greek word for fear is Phobeo (Strong G 5399). It, too, carries similar meanings with references to “being afraid” and “having reverence or awe.”
A healthy fear of God respects his power and majesty with an attitude of reverence and awe.
Proverbs 2:1-5 says that in order to understand the fear of the Lord we must fervently seek God.
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord.
After studying the references to the word fear in the Bible, it became clear to me that…
There is one healthy fear that is the cure for every single kind of unhealthy fear out there–and that is the fear of God!
This truth astounds me.
The fear of God casts out all other fears! Share on X
Leave it to God to cure fears with fear!
It reminds me of how firefighters use fire to reduce the amount of flammable material during a wildfire.
It can be difficult to understand how the word fear is meant when the Bible tells us to fear God. We associate the word fear with anxious feelings that something bad is going to happen to us.
In order to understand its distinction, we must look to the Word of God for answers. Every time the Bible refers to the fear of the Lord, it’s always meant for our good.
The fear of God is healthy and leads to life!
The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble. (Proverbs 19:23)
The fear of the Lord is pure enduring forever! (Psalm 19:9)
Fearing the Lord is healthy and good.
We don’t need to be anxious in our fear of the Lord because everything He does and allows can be trusted to bring about our spiritual growth.
It is not a false fear that believes “God is out to get you” and strike you down every time you sin. Most people turn their back on God with this false belief in who He is.
Fearing the Lord is good and it will always draw a believer closer into a loving, trusting relationship with God.
Proverbs 1:7
says that fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
The more you get to know God, (hence the knowledge of God) the more you understand His immense love for you. His power over your life. His care for you. His control over every other area of fear that has plagued you.
Fearing the Lord is beneficial because…
It helps us to know His power: Joshua 4:24 explains how God dried up the Jordan River so the people would know that the Lord is powerful and fear Him. The display of God’s power shows that He is in control and that we have nothing to fear.
It gives us wisdom: Psalm 111:10
It’s the beginning of knowledge: Proverbs 1:7
It adds length to life: Proverbs 10:27
It provides instruction for our lives: Psalm 25:12
Those who fear him lack nothing: Psalm 34:9
God will hear our cries: Psalm 145:19
God delights in you: Psalm 147:11
Evil is avoided: Proverbs 16:6
It leads to life: Proverbs 19:23
So, how do we fear the Lord?
The more you seek and search to know God, the more you will grow in your knowledge of him and develop a deep respect for who he is. The more we understand who God is, the more we will revere him and live our lives to honor him.
Deuteronomy 10:12 gives some great examples of what fearing the Lord looks like in our lives.
And now Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving to you today for your own good.
A healthy fear of God trusts in God’s power and control over our lives.
A healthy fear of God trusts in His love for us.
A healthy fear of God is evident by our desire to obey Him and love him with undivided hearts.
If we want to overcome fear in our lives, we have to connect to the source of power that will enable us to conquer our fears. That source is Jesus.
It’s time to fight fire with fire!
We need to know who he is and trust him, in order to overcome our fears! Share on X
And when we do we will see that…
We need not fear anything because God is greater and more powerful than any fear we struggle with! Share on X
What fears do you struggle with?
Hello there! I'm Valerie, a mom of four and wife of 27 years. My writing inspires others to cultivate courageous faith and find solace in trusting God, especially in moments of fear and uncertainty. Join me on this adventure as we explore the beauty of trusting God when we are afraid. 
I am so grateful for coming along this post. I have been struggling with the fear of having a failed marriage or thinking I married the wrong person for sometime now and it has really eaten deep into my psych, causing me stress, anxiety , but reading this post let me know how unhealthy it is and how shaky my faith is. Thanks for this insight, now, I know I am not alone
Ella, thank you for sharing your heart here and being transparent. Dear Lord, you have not given us a spirit of fear. Lord with you, we can have peace and rest. I pray peace over Ella and her marriage. Renew her heart and empower her with your Holy Spirit. May we walk with you and learn from you Lord. You show us how much you love us and how we can love others in return. Thank you for your grace.
Great post!! Fear is a very complex thing and I think you made some great point regarding healthy vs. unhealthy types.
I think sometimes we forget that we should fear the Lord. This is a big thing to overlook sometimes. I love the way you present this. Thanks for linking up with The Alder Collective!
Thank you for stopping by Kelsie!
This is wonderful and I love the spiritual perspective.
When I was fighting post-traumatic stress disorder, I learned about healthy fear. Unfortunately, at the time, my brain was tricked into thinking that being frightened all the time was critical to my survival.
Love this so much and thank you for the scriptures too.
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Hi Jennifer, Thank you for stopping by. I’m so sorry you’ve had to struggle through post-traumatic stress disorder. That must have been so hard. I pray that God continues to do a mighty work in your life..as you are shining His love to others.
What a great post on the true meaning of fear. I love the charts you shared. Good reminders of healthy and unhealthy fears. Glad I stopped by!
I’m visiting from the ‘Sunday Stillness’ link-up. : )
I’m glad you stopped by too Cathy! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. I appreciate the insight of someone who has studied fear in a Christian context. I definitely need work in this area in my life but usually avoid it. In my heart I know God is bigger than any circumstance, thought, or physical reaction to circumstances, real or exaggerated.
It’s easy to avoid facing our fears. It’s easier to avoid situations that cause fear. Sometimes we just have to do it gradually, one small step at a time. It’s always good to know that we are not alone and we can help each other along the way. Thank you for taking the time to comment, Jeanne. I would love for you to come back and visit.
Valerie, Wow!! This is so profound!!
I have struggled with fear and anxiety most of my life. In the later years the Lord has really worked on me and helped me in that regard.
But I never thought about how the antidote for unhealthy fear is the fear of God. The verses and insights you shared; the way you framed the whole post was so encouraging to me!
I am so glad I visited here today! Thanks so much for sharing!
Karen, I’m so glad you were encouraged. I appreciate your kind words! Have a great day!
That’s a great reminder, that fear of God leads us to a place where we know His greatness and therefore don’t need to fear temporary things!
Hi Heather! Yes, the fear of God helps us to understand the power of God and his control over our lives. I’m so glad He loves us and doesn’t want us to be afraid!
Hi Valerie, this is thorough, deep and properly outlined.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!
Thank you for your series. I pinned up the difference healthy and unhealthy fear.
Happy New Year, friend.
Wow, thanks, Ifeoma! Happy New Year to you too!
You have a lot of great information and great visuals too. Fear is what holds many of us back. Great series!
Thank you, Tara! I appreciate your kind words! I’m hoping this series will help encourage others to know that they are not alone!
Valerie,
This is going to be a phenomenal series! What a great start this post is, too! Often it is so confusing to identify or explain to others what it means to “fear” the Lord. You did such a great job of explaining that here. I love the visual and I love the fear ladder you made, too!
Hugs,
Lori
Thank you so much, Lori! I am so glad you are participating in the series too! I always love it when you stop by!
Valerie, I am a visual person so I love the chart you made! I’m going to print this out and put it on my fridge. What an amazing truth- “The fear of God casts out all other fears” Amen to that. Thank you for sharing this.
It’s always a joy to hear from you, Abby! Thank you so much for your encouraging words!
Just had this conversation with my kids yesterday. For us Christians, it can be hard to put “healthy fear” into words that others (and small kids) can understand. You did a great job here. (Maybe I should have read this first for some pointers, yes?)
I’m so glad you liked it, Deborah! Thank you for your kind comment.
Most people forget about the healthy fears that are there for our protection. Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you for visiting Marie!
What a great break down – thank you for sharing your findings.
Thank you for visiting Marissa!
Great introduction to your series. So looking forward to this. Your scriptures are right on and so fitting for this. I have struggled most of my adult life with fears. It hasn’t been until recently that I have overcome many of them. Trusting in God to take care of them is the key, but when my flesh wants to take it all back, that is when things get ugly.
Thank you, Michelle! And I’m so excited that you are participating! I’m so glad you have been able to overcome many of your fears. I imagine trusting in God to take care of our fears is a life-long battle. But hopefully, we can continue to give God our trust and rest in His power and control when fear creeps in.
I really enjoyed this study, and love the chart that differentiates between healthy and unhealthy fear. Thanks for all the time you took to put this study together!
Thank you for taking the time to comment Miranda!
Good breakdown of what unhealthy fear really is. Oftentimes, Christians refer to any fear as a sin but you so right, that is not true.
Thank you Mary!
What a great visual of fear through the pictures you have shown and the verses you have shared! I really like how you break down the verses and explain them!
Cathy
Thank you Cathy!