Wielding Faith And Fighting FearSýnishorn

How to Stop Being Afraid

A scholar once stated that “Do not be afraid” in one form or another appears 365 times in the Bible, once for every day of the year. Although I’ve never counted for myself, I can imagine this is true. A common acronym for the word fear is “false evidence appearing real.” We usually become afraid when we confuse facts (false evidence) with the truth. 

The fact may be that you are having some troubles in your relationships, but the biblical truth is, “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). The fact may be that you are sinking in debt, but the truth is, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach” (James 1:5, NKJV). The fact may be that you feel like giving up, but the truth is, “Having done everything to stand, stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13, NAS). 

Facts are usually only as big as our faith allows them to be. Faith is often sticking with the truth until it gets so big in our hearts that even the facts have to say amen. God never asks us to be in control of our circumstances—what happens around us or to us. Instead, He asks us to be in control of our thoughts, words, actions, and beliefs. We are in control of our response to the challenges we face—and we have the God-given command to respond in faith, no matter the situation.

What is a situation of “false evidence appearing real” in your life that needs to be confronted with faith?