Do Not Be Afraid
“But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.’” (Mark 5:36)
In every area of life, God calls us to faith over fear. This may sound cliche, it may sound too simplistic, but it is not. This is God’s will for you, in your life.
Whatever you face, you face two choices. You can fill your mind with worst-case scenarios and fear what could happen. Or, you can have faith that God is a good Father and that he intends to use this for good.
So what do you fear in life? What keeps you awake at night in fear? It is on exactly this point that Jesus says to you, “Do not fear, only believe.” Instead, entrust yourself and your life to Jesus. Submit yourself to his supreme control. It is in exactly this point – the area of your life dominated by fear – that Jesus calls you to have faith.
Faith is warranted because we know the truth about what God is doing. Martyn Lloyd-Jones summarizes it this way, in five truths that help us have faith in the midst of trying circumstances:
“(1) God is concerned about me as my Father and nothing happens to me apart from God. Even the very hairs of my head are all numbered. I must never forget that.
“(2) God’s will and God’s ways are a great mystery, but I know that whatever He wills or permits is of necessity for my good.
“(3) Every situation in life is the unfolding of some manifestation of God’s love and goodness. Therefore my business is to look for this peculiar manifestation of God’s goodness and kindness and to be prepared for surprises and blessings because ‘His ways are not my ways neither His thoughts my thoughts…
“(4) I must regard circumstances and conditions, not in and of themselves therefore, but as a part of God’s dealings with me in the work of perfecting my soul and bringing me to final perfection.
“(5) Whatever my conditions may be at this present moment they are only temporary, they are only passing, and they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that ultimately await me in Christ.”
In place of comments, I would love to hear from you personally. Please reach out to me via the Contact Page to share your thoughts and perspectives on this post!
Enjoying this content? Subscribe to receive it directly in your email, once a week.
