A Step Of FaithSample

Faith Instead Of Fear

What would you guess is the most repeated command in the whole Bible?

It might surprise you to hear that the most repeated command in the Bible is some variation of the phrase, “Don’t be afraid”. This is not by accident. Fear is one of the biggest factors that can stop us from taking a step of faith towards Jesus.

In today’s passage, Jairus is now in a situation where the very thing he had feared the most had come true. His precious daughter had died. We can only imagine the thoughts that must have been racing through his head: What do I do now? What effect will this have on my family? How am I going to move on from this? In the middle of this crisis, Jesus gives Jairus the answer to not being fearful: the answer is to have faith in Jesus.

Why is faith in Jesus the answer to fear? By having faith in Jesus, we begin to learn that we can trust God no matter what the circumstances and rest in His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. Since God only ever has what’s truly best for us in mind, and because He is all-loving and all-powerful, things seem a lot less scary when we trust in God and rely on Him for strength, peace and hope.

This doesn’t mean that we will never experience doubts. But whether we feel we have a lot of faith or only a little, we can know that Jesus is always ready to meet us where we are at. Jairus may not have had all the answers, but He chose to trust Jesus. In times that we feel fearful, experience doubts, or need courage, we too can take a step of faith towards Jesus and receive His peace, hope and love.

Questions

1. What would it look like for Jairus to show faith in Jesus at this moment?
2. What are some reasons why you think Jesus does not want us to be fearful?
3. How can faith in Jesus help us when we are fearful?
4. If we are feeling fearful or have doubts, what are some ways we can take a step of
   faith towards Jesus?
5. What are some things Jesus has done in the Bible or in your own life that help you to trust Him?