Destroy Fear at the Root

Everyone can feel fear, and everyone has at some point. The things people fear also vary widely: being hurt, failing, facing the future, death, sickness, poverty, disappointment, being scolded, being abandoned, and so on.

Fear comes in different forms. The question is, where does it come from? What is the source of our fear?

The Root of Fear

Biologically, fear is a natural cognitive response of human beings to threats against security or safety. Without it, we would be careless, off guard, or even put ourselves in danger. Fear is one of humanity's defense mechanisms to protect us from physical and emotional harm. For example, we jump when someone startles us from behind, or we would not deliberately disturb a wild animal.

Spiritually, there are two things that become the source of our fear.

1. Fear Because of Sin

Why do human beings have fear? One reason is because people know sin.

He answered, "When I heard that You were in the garden, I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." – Genesis 3:10

Why was Adam afraid when God called him in the Garden of Eden? Was Adam not used to communicating directly with God in his daily life?

When Adam sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, fear of the Lord began to appear. However, “fear of the Lord” here does not refer to obedience. This is literal terror, namely being afraid to come to God, or being afraid to communicate with Him. Sin not only creates fear, it also makes the relationship between human beings and God more distant.

Sin gives you fear. When you do not perform well at work, you may be afraid to come to a meeting. Because you made a mistake, you may be afraid when you have to face your boss.

And when you sin against the Lord, do you not feel afraid or unworthy to come to Him?

Today, if you are experiencing many fears, try examining your heart. Is there still sin that you have not overcome? Keep yourself away from sin. That will help reduce the fears you have had all this time.

2. Fear Because of Unbelief in God

He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the lake, and the lake became completely calm. – Matthew 8:26

If you have already dealt with fear caused by sin, but still have many fears, it may be that you actually do not believe in God.

The verse above is part of the event when a violent windstorm tossed the boat of Jesus' disciples. Even though Jesus was visibly beside them—even though He was asleep—His disciples were still afraid. Finally they woke Jesus, who then said, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?"

Another similar story happened when Jesus walked on water. At that time, Peter asked to be allowed to walk on the water with Jesus as well. At first he succeeded. But when he felt the strong wind, Peter began to sink, and then asked Jesus to help him.

And this is the response of the Lord:

Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand, took hold of him, and said, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" – Matthew 14:31

Why did Peter sink? Because he had little faith. Peter considered the problem he faced, namely the strong wind and storm, greater than his faith in the Lord.

Our unbelief in the Lord creates many fears. Even before we start something new, we have already piled up many fears by thinking:

“What if I fail?”

“What if this relationship ends up only disappointing me?”

“What if I am not successful in running this business?”

“What will people think when I do this? Later many will reject me. Many will hate me.”

“What if the outcome is not what I hoped for?”

When those fears become so dominant that they hinder our progress in life, here is the solution: Trust God. Trust in the Lord. He is in control. Believe that nothing in anything is accidental! What if your level of trust in the Lord is still low?

Pray, read the Bible, remember the promises of the Lord, fast, and do His commands will help us surrender to God. Believe that if you have done your part to the fullest, the Lord does not shut His eyes to you. He cares for you and will not forget you.

A Powerful Way to Defeat Fear

Now we know the two roots of fear, namely sin and unbelief in God. And to be free from fear, you must live rightly, stay far from sin, and trust in the Lord.

However, basically fear will keep showing up in our lives. No matter what, it will not disappear 100%.

So, what should we do? To fight fear, create an even greater fear Yes, that is the tip from my leader “If you are afraid, create an even greater fear.”

Replace your fear with another fear that is greater but more reasonable.

For example, because I work in marketing, he gave this challenge: “Are you afraid of being rejected by people? Which are you more afraid of? Being rejected by people or falling into poverty?”

You get the point, right?

The good news is, this principle is actually biblical.

“And do not be afraid of those who can kill the body but have no power to kill the soul; rather fear Him who has power to destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Matthew 10:28

What are you afraid of that haunts you the most right now?

Personally, I think the worst one is the fear of losing the body we live in, in other words death. Yet the Bible says you should be concerned about one greater fear, namely the fear of God—who can destroy not only the body, but also the soul.

Stop being afraid of small or trivial things. As children of the Lord, we know that fear must be in its proper place. Be afraid only of what is great and what is right. Replace your fear with a new fear, namely the fear of the Lord. Let your fear of God overcome all other fears.

Amen.

*Church GKDI is currently in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area. If you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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