Do you allow fear to cripple you? Here are some thoughts on turning fear into faith and trusting in God.

Can you remember the day, time, or moment when you said yes to Jesus? The moment when you accepted his gift of salvation and made the most important decision that you’ve ever made in your life?

Once you’re a believer, the Bible says, “if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are becoming new. (2 Cor.5:17)

Now that we are becoming new, why is it that our old friend fear sneaks up on us yet again? You may be wondering, “how do I overcome fear?” The answer is simple, so simple that it is usually rejected. We can overcome fear with faith.

During this process of sanctification, God is refining and fine-tuning you. So that when you get to heaven, this process will be complete.  Don’t think that you can’t be overcome by fear, because you can.

I want to give you some thoughts on turning fear into faith so you can walk in the freedom of being a believer in Christ.

 

Could it be a lack of faith?

 

If you really thought about it, you would realize that you are actually saying that God is not enough by holding on to fear. That, He isn’t able to handle your situation, and you don’t have enough faith in him.

How many of us walk into our homes after work and drop down onto the couch with the stress of the day on our shoulders. Most time, we don’t think about whether the couch will hold us up or not.

Oh, my sistren, if you could only cultivate that type of faith in Jesus, can you imagine what you would be able to do in this world within God’s will? God is drawing you to himself, and since he has saved you, he wants you to rely on him fully.

In Isaiah.43:1, he says, “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name; you are mine.”

To know that God has called you individually should encourage you to let God take control. If God has called you to teach, preach, or minister, whatever area he has called you to fulfill, step out in faith.

Sometimes you may worry about how others perceive you, but the only one you have to answer is God. This alone should drive holy fear, the reverent kind, to your heart. You can’t allow others to dictate the way you serve your own Lord and Savior.

 

Remember that only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Look at Moses; he murdered an Egyptian out of rage because of the ill-treatment of his people. You would think that he wouldn’t be worthy of being used by God, but he was. Moses himself knew he was unworthy; he was afraid, and he had reason to be afraid.

He had a speech impediment, and he was meek. Can you imagine a docile Moses with a lisp going to talk to the king? What an overwhelming task he had! Who wouldn’t be afraid?

Moses failed to realize he couldn’t do this in his own strength. He needed God to equip him for the journey ahead. But when God got a hold of him, he overcame his fear by putting his faith in God.  He paved the way for the Israelites to enter the promised land. Moses realized the importance of turning fear into faith.

Ever wondered why fear or maybe some other sin seems to have control over you? You would quit or supposedly overcome it only to find yourself slipping up a month after. Maybe it’s because you’re trying to overcome fear in your own strength.

Now that you are a believer in Christ and the old is becoming new, you have to develop the habit of allowing God to take charge of your body, mind, and soul. Let God have total control of your fears.

 

Even Joshua was afraid.

 

After God took Moses, he chose someone else to take his place. In Joshua.1: 6,7,9, and 18, we see the refrain “Only be thou strong and of good courage” Even though Moses trained Joshua to replace him, we see that Joshua was afraid.

The sovereign God allowed that phrase to be found four (4) times in that chapter to show Joshua didn’t want to lead (The Israelites weren’t easy). He then realized that God would be with him, and he placed complete faith in God.

Joshua followed God’s instructions and allowed him to take the lead. He was the one who led the Israelites to the promised land and saw God fall the walls of Jericho. As long as you’re in the will of God and you let him lead you, you too will have success.

Fear will always be with you; without it, you won’t know how to be courageous. Use fear as a tool to show the mighty power of God living within you. When you allow God to use you in ways that perplex others, you are allowing God to shine in your life.

 

Turning fear into faith

 

For God has not given you the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. 2 Tim.1:7

You not only fear to step out by faith to do what God has commanded, but you may also be afraid of the unknown. The unknown is scary, but God is there already helping you by turning fear into faith. He exists in the past, present, and future.

Don’t let the thoughts and cares of this world weigh you down. Thoughts like:

• What will it be like for my kids when I’m gone?
• Am I ever going to find the one?
• What if my family never gets out of this financial slump?

Our God doesn’t want you to live like this; he said that today has enough troubles of its own. Yet, believe me, I know the unknown is scary; it’s uncertain, and if I knew a way to get a glimpse of the future, I would be tempted to do so.

‘God is in control’ should be our mantra. ‘God is sovereign’ should be added, and total trust and faith should be placed in God.

The Lord equips those he calls. He will equip you as long as you avail yourself to him. God’s richest blessings await you when you turn your fear into faith. And God will be with you even things are happening around you that are beyond your control.

If the fear you are experiencing has turned to worry because of unforeseen circumstances, know that God makes no mistakes, and he has you in the palm of his hand. Let Him turn your fear into faith.

Share this post with someone you think it will minister to and if you want to read more about allowing God to be in control, check out my other article on fear. 

Having faith in God is also rewarding. Look at the 5 rewards of faith below.

5 rewards of Faith

 

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man can stake his life on it a thousand times. – Martin Luther

It takes real faith to step into the unknown with Jesus.

I love the ocean. When I’m sitting at the beach and gazing into the horizon while the sun sets- it is so easy to believe that nothing can surpass that view.

I also love bathing in the sea but what’s scary for me is when my feet can’t touch the ground. My mind starts thinking of all the endless possibilities of death.

You see, as much as the ocean is a vast wonder of beauty, it is also a vast depth of unknown dangers and ferocious creatures (in my humble opinion). When my feet don’t touch the ground, my mind charters into dangerous channels, and I only feel safe when the sand is between my toes.

Unlike my fear of the water, Peter did something that defies logic. He was bold, reckless, and he had crazy faith. In the midst of a storm, the disciples saw a ghost walking on water towards them.

Peter immediately knew that the only person able to walk on water would be Jesus.

So, as soon as Peter recognized what Jesus was doing, he believed that he could, and so he did.

He stepped out on the water and started walking towards Jesus.

Every time I think about Peter stepping out on that water and walking to meet Jesus, it gives me such hope for believing humanity.

If Peter could resist the urge to think about his circumstances and have faith, then I can do it too. You can do it too.

The water was raging, the winds were fierce, and yet Peter only had faith in God. Because of his faith in God, he is the only man other than Jesus to have walked on water.

That is a reward of faith, and we will look at some other rewards that are yours if you exercise faith in God.

 

 

1. You will be given good gifts

 

Matthew 21:22

Whatever you asked for in prayer, you will receive it once you have faith. Your heavenly Father knows you well. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it, and he doesn’t make mistakes.

Matthew 7:9-11- “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So, if you sinful people know how to give your children good gifts, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

God will reward your faith by giving you good gifts. Everything that he supplies you with is necessary because his thoughts are higher than ours.

When you pray believing that God will answer, your request is already on its way. And it will be nothing but the best.

 

 

2. You will experience more adventure and excitement in life

 

Peter was able to walk on water because of his strong faith. Can you imagine the type of life the disciples would have lived if they had never followed Jesus? They were able to witness miracles so great that the Pharisees were jealous of them.

The disciples got to spend time with Jesus. Everywhere that he went, wherever he slept, they were there.

When you want to become a professional at something, do you go to someone with no credentials? Even if we have no money, we still want to learn from the best of the best.

 

3. Your needs will be met

 

Give us today our daily bread Matthew 6:11

Everything you need will be provided on a day to day basis when you have faith in God.

Faith requires our trust and confidence in the one that can do exceedingly, abundantly, and above all, we could ever ask for. (Eph 3:20-21) God wants us to rely on him for not just the main needs but even for our daily bread.

This is why it is important to pray to believe in God’s provision even before he provides.

On one occasion in the book of St. John, Jesus visited seven of the disciples after his resurrection. This was the third time that they were seeing him, and Jesus didn’t come empty-handed. He knew that they were working all night, and they had caught no fish.

And what did he do? He met their need by telling them where they could catch fish, and he made them breakfast. When they came off the boat, Jesus had already prepared a meal of fried fish and bread.

He didn’t just meet them on a hungry stomach because their belly would have distracted them from anything else. He met their needs, and he will meet yours too.

 

4. Another Reward of Faith is the salvation of your soul

1 Peter 1:5-9

You can’t experience the grandeur of salvation without faith. To accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have to believe in the finished work that he accomplished on the cross.

The reward for trusting in Jesus Christ is the salvation of your soul. What an awesome reward we have!  There is no greater gift than the hope of salvation. When you decide to trust in God and believe in the work done on the cross of Calvary, you are trusting in something that you didn’t see.

It is hard to take someone at their word when you can’t see if they actually accomplished what they said that they did.

But when you trust in God and believe that he is the Great I am and who he says he is, you will be rewarded. You will receive his salvation, which is incorruptible and will never expire.

Once you are saved, you belong to Jesus now and forevermore.

5. Peace with God

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

You have been justified. This means that you are now declared righteous. It is as though you have never sinned. Can you actually guarantee that this is so? Honestly, no.

This is why your justification is by faith alone. You have to believe that God’s word is true, that he saved you, and that you now have peace with God. Peace in this world is only temporary; the peace that comes from God is eternal.

You can experience great rewards when you have faith in God. Turning your fear into faith is showing God that you trust him.

This is declaring to God that the systems of the world will not shake you. You will remain firm and unyielding as you yield to him through faith.

Faith in God is necessary to please him and to do what he has called you to do.

Are you ready to turn your fear into faith? Leave your answer in the comments.

It is only in the presence of fear that your faith can shine forth.

I love you with the love of Christ.

Keneesha 🙂