“The only thing we have to fear is FEAR
itself.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933)
Dealing with FEAR
Preparing to lead and do God’s will for your life: Part I
How do we reconcile these verses?
 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good
understanding have all those who do His commandments. His
praise endures forever. Psalm 111:10
 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge
of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:7
FEAR (noun)
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is
real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding,
apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation,
qualm. Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity.
2. a specific instance of such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights. Synonyms: phobia,
aversion; bête noire, bogy, bogey, bugbear.
3. concern or anxiety: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, especially toward God: the fear of God. Synonyms: awe, respect,
reverence, veneration.
5. something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of:
Cancer is a common fear.
Answer:
Whether FEAR is good or bad depends on what is being FEARED.
Two categories:
 Fearing God
 Fearing other things or people
2 types of FEARFUL responses to God
1. Those who know Him and love Him respond with reverence and obedience.
2. Those who do not know Him or refuse to serve Him, respond with dread and terror
in anticipation of His displeasure and judgment.
Answer
Whether FEAR is good or bad depends on what is being FEARED.
Two categories:
Fearing God
Fearing other things or people
 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He
will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of
truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows
Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14: 15
 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and
My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you
hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” John 14: 23
 The point: God does not expect us to do things alone. He has given us a Helper.
How does FEAR relate to following God?
FEAR combined with LOVE for God can cause you to obey God.
But other types of FEAR can prevent you from obeying God.
 FEAR of the unknown
 FEAR of failure
 FEAR of rejection
 FEAR of people
Which type of FEAR will win?
From The Princess Diaries…
Eduard Christoff Philippe GÈrard Renaldi,
Prince of Genovia:
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but
rather the judgment that something is more
important than fear. The brave may not live
forever, but the cautious do not live at all.”
FEAR of the Unknown
 There is a first time for everything.
 Throughout scripture, God calls us to TRUST HIM!!!
 The more you do something, the less nervous you will be.
 Ask others to help you or go with you.
 Never judge yourself by the first time you do something.
Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through
the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:6
FEAR of failure
Quotes from Winston Churchhill:
 “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue
that counts.”
 “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of
enthusiasm.”
The results of serving God are not up to you. They are up to God. All
you’re required to do is obey His leading. He does the rest.
FEAR of rejection
Quotes from Winston Churchhill:
 “You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for
something, sometime in your life.”
FEAR of people
So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor
teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to
them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than
to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we
have seen and heard.” Acts 4:18-20
FEAR of people
Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all
boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to
heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of
Your holy Servant Jesus.”
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled
together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and
they spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-31
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to
obey God rather than men…” Acts 5:29
NEW BILLBOARD IN NYC SAYS ‘NOBODY’ NEEDS
‘CHRIST DURING CHRISTMAS’
Reported by The Blaze,
December 6, 2013
The antidote to FEARING things in the world
 Spend time with God and get close to Him
 Spend time with other believers
 Pray for boldness
 Eternal perspective: You will someday stand before God to give an
account of your life, not other people. On that day, only God’s
opinion of how you’ve lived and what you’ve done will matter.
The antidote to FEARING things in the world
Other readings:
 The Book of Esther
 Read a Psalm a day