Dealing with fear by putting your trust in God
God reminds us that we should never be afraid of him. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH
What you need to know:
- Don’t be afraid of God. Don’t be afraid of death. Don’t be afraid of people who make fun of you.
It’s easy to listen to such words when you’re sitting in church protected by your friends and family.
It’s a little harder to cast off fear when you’re surrounded by people who want to humiliate you. Even then, don’t be afraid.
“Don’t be afraid!” Sacred Scripture uses this phrase 365 times. A Bible scholar commented: “It’s as if, every day of the year, God reminds us that we should never be afraid of him. Why, then, you ask, does Scripture tell us that “fear of the Lord” is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit? It is not because God wants us to fear him but because he wants us to be afraid of rebelling against him.”
Even if you have sinned, do not be afraid of God. King David wrote in the Psalms: “A humble and contrite heart, O God, you will not scorn.” St Paul wrote in the Letter to the Romans: “Since he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for the sake of all of us, can we not expect that, with him, he will freely give us all his gifts? Who can bring any accusation against those that God has chosen? When God grants saving justice who can condemn?”
Don’t be afraid of God. Don’t be afraid of death. Don’t be afraid of people who make fun of you.
It’s easy to listen to such words when you’re sitting in church protected by your friends and family. It’s a little harder to cast off fear when you’re surrounded by people who want to humiliate you. Even then, don’t be afraid.
The Book of Psalms says: “I made my sin known to you, O Lord. I did not conceal my guilt. I said, ‘I shall confess my offence to Yahweh.’ And you, for your part, took away my guilt. You forgave my sin. That is why each of your faithful ones prays to you in time of distress. Even if great floods overflow, they will never reach your faithful.”
“Don’t be afraid!” The words appear first in the Book of Genesis. Abram, still childless, is complaining. The promise God made about giving the land of Canaan to his descendants is wearing thin.
When you think God has forgotten you — when it seems useless to continue being faithful — remember what God told Abram and how the great Patriarch made his act of faith: “Do not be afraid, Abram! I am your shield and I shall give you a very great reward. ‘Lord Yahweh,’ Abram replied, ‘what use are your gifts, as I am going on my way childless? Since you have given me no offspring, a servant from my household will be my heir.’ Then Yahweh’s word came to him in reply, ‘Such a one will not be your heir; no, your heir will be the issue of your own body.’ Then taking him outside, God said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Just so will your descendants be.’ Abram put his faith in Yahweh and this was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
