40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:35-41)
Most people accept fear as a normal part of life, but Jesus rebuked His disciples for being afraid. He didn’t accept it as normal. Also, we know He would never reprove them for something beyond their
control, so fear is a choice. We don’t have to be afraid, and Jesus told us how. We can overcome fear by having faith.
We don’t need to be insensitive to those who are experiencing fear, nor do we need to be ashamed if we feel afraid. Since fear torments (1 John 4:18), we should have compassion on others-and ourselves. However, in our efforts to comfort, we don’t need to embrace and promote fear as normal. That’s not what Jesus did. The “normal” Christian today would have said to the disciples, “That’s okay, boys, I know just how you’re feeling.”
But Jesus said, “What’s the matter with you? Why don’t you have any faith?”
The difference between Jesus’ attitude toward fear and today’s average Christian’s attitude toward fear is why so many of us are living far below what Jesus sacrificed Himself to give us. He died so
we could be delivered from fear of all evil, and that includes poverty, sickness, death, and even being lonely. To Him, anything but a happy and victorious Christian life is abnormal. He wants us to live
free from fear.
Jesus made it clear that faith is the antidote to fear. Faith and fear cannot coexist. They are enemies and opposing forces. If faith is strong, it will cast out all fear. So we must always be building and
strengthening our faith by reading and studying God’s Word. (Rom. 10:17.)
Your faith in the goodness and faithfulness of God (Gal. 5:6) will overcome whatever you are afraid of today.