Mostly Brave

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27 (NIV)

Do not be afraid appears 365 times in the Bible. We all have things we are afraid of.  I am afraid of rejection, loss of anything I care about, and my health. Fear can be a gripping feeling that can affect us emotionally and even physically. It can hold us back from relationships and accepting new opportunities. Some fears are irrational but some are real; both can feel overwhelming.

Then we can experience some heavy hitters. Fear of failure, not being good enough, rejected professionally or socially. Some of us even feel trapped. Maybe inside a relationship, a job, or even with illness; seeing no way out. We worry that we will lose a job, watch our finances tank or not be able to enjoy our retirement. Many of us are afraid of our death, or the death of our loved ones.

I started doing some research on how scriptures can help with some of these fears:

Fear of Death – for Christians, death is not the end—it’s just a doorway to something greater. John 11:25 says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after they die.” 

Fear of Failure – God promises His presence and support, even when we fear we are falling short. Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,” ‘Do not fear; I will help you.”

Fear of being broken– God often uses our broken places to build something beautiful. Psalm 147:3 says, “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and bandages their wounds.”

Fear of the unknown – Even when the future seems unclear, we can choose to trust rather than stay gripped in fear. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Fear of being alone – We are never alone.  The Holy Spirit is our comforter. We need to remember that we can call on the Holy Spirit to comfort us and give us guidance. John 14:16 says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”

Fear of Loss – God doesn’t promise that we won’t face loss but He does promise that we won’t have to face it alone. Isaiah 43:1-2 says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you… you will not drown.”

When Jesus says that He will give us peace, but not as the world does, He is saying that the world tries to give us peace from financial security, obtaining great health or keeping a stable job. The world’s peace is

temporary. As soon as something goes wrong, peace is gone. It’s fragile and dependent on “everything going right.” But God’s peace is eternal and unshakable. It’s not based on our situation that we are going through but is based on His presence in our lives.

A 2021 Gallup poll stated that people that attend religious services weekly report higher levels of well-being than those that do not. People of faith have a greater sense of peace, strength in hard times and less fear of death. Scriptures don’t take away all of our fears but they can throw us a lifeline, to accept the peace that God wants us to receive.  They can be an anchor when storms are raging in our life and provide light while we are living in a rather dark world.

God’s. Perfect. Peace.