A Few Strategies to Get on Top of Fear (so it Doesn’t Get on Top of You)

Due to a lot of rain in our area recently, it seems like all the spiders in the neighborhood have decided to move indoors. This isn’t such a big deal to me, but for those in my family who suffer from arachnophobia, it is absolutely unacceptable.

For some people, fear nags at them everyday while for others it is only an occasional battle. Either way, fear can paralyze and keep us from enjoying the life God has for us.

Whether it is a fear of spiders or a fear of death, these insights from Psalm 91 will help you to hold your ground and crush fear:

1. VISUALIZE yourself tucked safely inside a huge, impenetrable fortress. Though God is a person, the psalmist compared Him to a safe place where we can hide. He said, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him” (v. 1-2). Feeling vulnerable today? See yourself taking cover under the faithful, protective shadow of the Most High. 
2. PRAY specifically about the things that strike fear in you. For the psalmist, it was fear of “the terrors of the night,” “the arrow that flies in the day,” “the disease that stalks in the darkness,” and “the disaster that strikes at midday” (v. 5-6) Whether you are fearful of cancer, joblessness, embarrassment, rejection, death – or all the above – naming those fears before the Lord can begin the process of diminishing their power over you (See also Philippians 4:6-7).
3. EMBRACE the reality of angelic protection. The psalmist reassured the fearful with these words: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (v. 11). Speaking of angels might feel a little awkward, but their existence is more than just sensational hype. While they may or may not have wings or flowing blond hair as depicted in pictures, angels are real. As one Bible scholar tells us,

“This is one of the passages in Scripture that reveals the existence and activity of ‘guardian angels.’“

Of course, we must not make the mistake of elevating their role or importance over Jesus (Hebrews 1:5-14), but it is encouraging to know that we can count on the back-up of angels as we navigate the twists and turns of this crazy world. Like our President has secret service agents for protection, so we have guardian angels assigned to watch over us. 

Fear can get the best of us if we allow it to. But if we take to heart these reassuring truths from God’s word, we can put our shoulders back, stand tall, and crush our worst fears. You ready?

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.