How Are We Doing? Part 4

How Are We Doing? Part 4
Monday, January 6, 2025 by Dr. James W. Walraven

How do we overcome fear and worry? One key is to remember that love and fear are opposed to each other.

1 John 4:18 (NAU): There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

Worry and fear defeat love. Arguably, in the spiritual realm, love and worry are at war with each other. The two are mutually exclusive. When we’re fearful, we aren’t exactly full of love, are we? Not only does perfect love cast out fear, but being fearful casts out love. And God’s love is the only form of perfect love.

So how do we respond to worry? On the one hand, just stop. When we find ourselves worrying, it can be helpful to verbally say out loud: “Stop!” Yet, unless we respond in ways that Scripture describes, human effort, on its own, will not succeed.

Psalm 49:16–17 (NAU): “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.”

It is often the rich and powerful that are the ones who most espouse what God calls wickedness. We worry about political leaders who’ve embraced evil as well as those who actively pursue it, how they impact us. We forget that when they die, their evil desires and plans come to an end. Their plans come to nothing.

Isaiah 44:6–8 (ESV): “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

Whomever we might be afraid of, the circumstances that we might dread; neither those people nor those circumstances are God. We need to remember who is in control: God and no one else. When we’re tempted to fear after hearing something on the news, social media, or even from a friend, we need to stop and ask: Does what was said line up with biblical truth?

Proverbs 14:15 (ESV): “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”

Proverbs 21:29 (ESV): “A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways.”

We need consider our ways, to think about what is scripturally true, we aren’t to automatically believe everything. Just because something is boldly and forcefully declared doesn’t make it true. Quite often those who are most in-your-face, most bold and forceful with their proclamations, are the ones advocating what God calls evil and sin.

Those who put on a bold face, those who forcefully declare evil as being good, are seeking to get us to respond emotionally. It is fairly easy to manipulate someone’s emotions until the desired response (or triggered angry reaction) is reached. Instead of following our hearts, of giving in to our emotions, God tells us to stop and think. The act of worry is deeply connected to our emotions. That cycle needs to be interrupted.

Taking these steps will help break the cycle of worry. But just ceasing to worry is only the first step. If we don’t take a second step, to replace that worry with something else, most likely we’ll just resume worrying. As the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum. When we stop doing a bad habit—in this case worrying—we need to replace that bad habit with a good one. We’ll turn to that second step in the next post.

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