According to Edmond, Oklahoma-based Life.Church, where the popular YouVersion Bible App originated, the most popular Bible verse of 2018 was Isaiah 41:10.
“Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (ESV).”
I’m not surprised.
More people than ever before are experiencing crippling effects of stress, anxiety, panic attacks and depression so it makes sense that collectively we are looking for something to bring us peace. After a quick search I discovered it was no different in 2017, 2016 or 2015 when the top verses in each of those years, respectively, were:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).”
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).”
Despite the ever-increasing high-pressured, performance-driven culture of perfection we live in, our struggles with anxiety and fear are not new to God. No, our human tendency has always been toward fear. This is why more than any other command in the Bible, more than “Love God” or “Love others,” God speaks to our restless, peace-pinched hearts with “Do not fear.”
The word for fear in the Greek and used throughout Scripture is “phobeo” (it’s where we get the word phobia) meaning “flight.” Taking flight is exactly what we want to do when fear stirs up within us. And in a million different ways we do.
Rather than face the unknown, the difficult or dreaded, we flee.
- We flee relational conflict, avoid certain circumstances and run from God.
- We suppress our thoughts and disguise our true emotions.
- We busy ourselves, or check out completely. We make food, drink, exercise, Netflix, drugs, sex, shopping, our jobs, performance, perfection and more our gods.
But the more we avoid, squelch, pretend, busy ourselves or turn to false sources of relief, the more anxious, sleepless, unsettled, stressed, overwhelmed, panicked, paralyzed, and fear-filled we become! And so it seems even those verses we frantically turn to do little to bring us true peace.
I would argue it’s because in our fear we’ve fixed our eyes in the wrong place. But to readjust our vision we need to first take a deeper look at our fear.
The Root of all Fear
To do so, as we would with an onion, let’s peel back layers by asking ourselves what is driving the anxiety or fear. If we peel away enough times what we will likely discover at the core is DISBELIEF. A disbelief in God to take care of us, and the details of our lives– in the timing and way we see fit.
We think (though we probably don’t say it) we would be better at being god than God. So we fight for control in attempt to secure peace. But perfect peace will continue to allude us as long as we are trying to save ourselves; trusting in circumstances to deliver, not the Prince of Peace.
So in essence what God says to us in our fear is:
“Stop trying to change, manage and secure your own life—your circumstances, relationships, reputation, job, health, safety, children, whatever it is that you think if you controlled would give you peace—because I’ve got this. I am in control. Trust me.”
The Solution to Fear
To see why He is trustworthy when our circumstances say otherwise, let’s revisit Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane before His death.
This is where He cried out to God, “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39 ESV).”
I can’t imagine the agony of knowing what He faced, and knowing there was no other way. But the cup of God’s wrath did not, and could not, pass before Him, because of what He came to do.
God turned His back on His own Sun and Jesus experienced the ultimate shame, absolute judgment and rejection, so we wouldn’t. He took on all of our sin and all of God’s condemnation and wrath so we could have His favor. Not so God could love us, but because He already did– when we had nothing to offer but sin!
God withheld nothing and Jesus endured everything, for us.Click To TweetThis is the ultimate hope we have to hang on to in the midst of all our trials and fears. Does it fix our problems and take away our immediate stresses? No. But it calls us to fix our eyes onto something bigger than ourselves. To look at Jesus. To see the One who calms the seas and tells the wind which way to blow. The One who came to make all things right again. The One whom God did not spare, as a guarantee He would never leave or forsake us.
Casting our eyes on Him and laying down our fight is what it means to “Be still” as He calls us to do. And when we do and see it is He, not “me,” who is over all things may we experience peace that surpasses understanding. But we must also know that while one day we may feel this peace, the next day we may be consumed again with worry. So we keep going back to the cross to remember who He is.
The continual need to keep our eyes fixed is not without purpose. For true growing in grace comes in the seeing that our one step forward and two steps back is normal Christian life designed to make us more dependent on a Savior. And the more we learn dependence on him, the less we try to be our own Savior and the easier it becomes to believe His words, “Do Not Fear.”
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling…
Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11)”
