Types of fear and how we can overcome them
1. The fear of man
Some people live in the fear of man and are frightened by them. This happens because of what men have done or are believed to be able to do. Sometimes we believe that men can hurt us and bring our lives to an end but the Bible says in Proverbs 29.25 that the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trust the Lord is safe.
We can overcome the fear of man by putting our trust in God. When you put your trust in God and put your confidence in God you can overcome the fear of man. The worst man can do to you is to kill you physically but dying physically is not the end of the story. So, we don’t walk in the fear of man. Put your trust in God instead.
Another thing that can help you overcome the fear of man is to walk with the knowledge that God is with you. I have come to that level where I believe that at all times God is with me. Psalm 118.6 says the Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can mand to do me? Some other versions say he is standing behind me as a mighty warrior. If he is with me, what can man do to me?
Even in this era of Covid-19, God is with you and because of that we shall not be afraid of what men will do to us. When David came before Goliath, humanly speaking, there was no way he was going to be able to defeat him. But with God on his side, he declared to Goliath, “You come against me with a sword and spear and javelin, but I came to you in the name of the Lord whose armies you have defied” (1 Samuel 17.45). Be assured that because God is with you man cannot do anything to you.
2. The fear of failure
Sometimes we walk in fear because we think we will fail. Some of us are afraid we will fail because of the experiences we or others have gone through. Some fear their marriages will not work; some are afraid of a new appointment because everybody who has gone for it has failed; in ministry some fear failing because others who have gone to that station have failed. The solution to the fear of failure lies in knowing the word of God and taking steps of faith in the word. What is God saying about that situation? About that marriage? About that job?
I remember Simon Peter who had toiled the whole night and had not caught any fish though he had employed all the expertise he knew. He was gripped by the fear of failure even when Jesus told him to cast his net into the sea for a catch. He said, “Master, we have toiled the whole night and have caught nothing.” But he made an important statement saying, “But at your word I will try again.” He believed in the word and acted on it. If you believe the word of God and act on it, failure will be turned around and you will be successful. Sometimes every indication of life suggests that you will fail. But you have to keep your mind on the word of God. Strengthen yourself with the word that says, “Tell the righteous it shall be well with them”; “My beginning may be small but my end shall be great.” The Bible says, “No. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
3. The fear of death
Right from the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, we have had to deal with the fear of death. In this era of coronavirus, I have observed that the fear of death is gripping many. But I came to tell you in the name of Jesus that we should not be afraid of death. Fear of death cannot grip us because we are children of God. The child of God must live beyond the fear of death because Jesus has conquered death. He conquered death by dying himself and resurrecting after three days. He took the keys of death and the grave from the devil (Revelation 1.18). May the child of God know and understand that Jesus has conquered death.