Faith vs. Fear

What’s the difference between faith and fear?

Everything.

They are direct opposites.

Most experts agree that we all have some innate fears, things we’re born with. Fear of falling is one of them. And if the fear of falling is innate, is not the faith that gravity pulls us down inborn as well? Faith and fear can co-exist in these basic forms, but they oppose each other in a spiritual context. When faith wanes, fear moves in.

If we have faith in God, we can conquer worry and fear of such things as the future with its surprising twists and turns. Or we can stop trying to manipulate our destinies under our own powers.

I confess that, at times in my own life, there is a distance between what I believe and how that affects my daily life. And not just morally but relationally. As a college graduate with slightly above-average I.Q. (I think) I have tended to try to figure out things on my own without so much as asking God’s opinion, much less imploring His direction. If I truly have faith and truly trust God’s heart, mind, and hand, why haven’t I been more intimate with Him? In other words, how has my faith translated into my everyday life?

If I truly trust God, as I claim, why do I worry about things – things that I can’t control or even things that I feel I can maneuver? Why don’t I think about Him more, lean on Him, laugh with Him, cry with Him, and speak to Him even about the most trivial things? Perhaps it’s a basic faith issue.

I’m going to try to change that, but not in my own power. That would defeat the purpose. I’ll let God do what He does best.

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 your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB