How does the Bible address fear?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

There are at least two kinds of fear mentioned in the Bible. The first kind of fear is the fear of the Lord, which is healthy and to be encouraged. The second kind of fear the Bible talks about is a "spirit of fear" (see 2 Timothy 1:7), which is a hindrance to our life and walk with God. As we fear the Lord in the way He calls us to, we can live out of love for Him rather than the spirit of fear that the Bible warns us against. God grants us a spirit of power, love, and self-control, not a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Remembering that perfect love, as noted in 1 John 4:18, casts out fear, makes fear lose its grip on us. Ultimately, overcoming the spirit of fear involves trusting in God and His love (Philippians 4:7).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Proverbs 8:13 talks about a good fear: "The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate." Fearing God means having an attitude of respect and awe for all God is, which includes His absolute holiness, unfailing love, mercy, power, and glory, as well as characteristics like His righteous anger and wrath.
• Fear of the Lord contains many blessings and benefits. It leads to wisdom and understanding (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7).
• The fear of the Lord brings life and true rest (Proverbs 14:27; 19:23).
• When we experience fear, we don't have to stay there. We can say like the psalmist, "I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4). God hears us and is the one who delivers us from fear; we can't do it by ourselves.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Second Timothy 1:7 tells us of the kind of fear that is not good: "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." Fear is not from God and is also not something we have to simply "put up with." Fear is a tool that our enemy the Devil uses to hinder us in any way he can from all that God has for us.
• First John 4:18 tells us, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Everyone has or will experience fear in their lives. Sometimes it's subtle and we don't realize that's what it is. We make other excuses for why we're not moving forward in areas of our life when the root is really fear. This is not what God wants for us. Overcoming fear is rooted in trusting God and receiving His love. Satan will do all he can to get us to doubt the love of God, often by using fear. Fear of the future, what people think of us, failure, you name it—when we believe lies of fear, it gets in the way of experiencing and living out of the freedom of God's perfect love. Confessing our fears to God takes the power out of its control over us and allows God to cleanse us from it (see 1 John 1:9). This is simply an active way we can trust God completely. The more we learn to trust Him and His love for us, the more we experience His peace (Philippians 4:7), and the less fear has any place in our lives.

UNDERSTAND

• The Bible identifies two types of fear: the fear of the Lord and the spirit of fear.
• God does not give us a spirit of fear.
• Perfect love casts out fear.

REFLECT

• How can you cultivate a healthy fear of the Lord in your daily life?
• How have you experienced the a fearful spriti in your life? What steps can you take to replace that fear with trust in God's love and power?
• How are you fearing the Lord more than living in a spirit of fear?

ENGAGE

• How can we differentiate between a healthy fear of the Lord and a harmful attitude of fear?
• How can we support others in overcoming fears that hinder our spiritual growth and confidence in God?
• What practical steps can we take to encourage each other to trust in God's love more fully when we are prone to fear?