In his book Fearless, Max Lucado writes, “Can you imagine a life with no fear? What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats?” If Mr. Max came to visit me, I’d have to tell him, “No sir, I can’t imagine a life without fear. And, if I’m honest, I can’t even imagine that faith would always be my first response to threats, but what I can imagine is making fear work for me so that it makes me stronger.”

Does the idea of fear strengthening you sound absurd? The truth is that when you leverage fear it doesn’t have to cause you to fail. Instead, it can be the very reason you become a better you and who God designed you to be.

Here’s how.

Faith and fear are opposite

In Mark 4:40, when Jesus noticed that the disciples were afraid of the waves He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Then, in Mark 5:36 He told the synagogue ruler, Jarius, whose daughter was pronounced dead, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” In both of these instances faith was juxtaposed against fear because they are opposites. And where there is fear, faith cannot be.

But fear does not have to be a bad thing; you just have to know what to do with it.

Listen to your fear

If you listen to your fear, it can be a great teacher. Here’s why: It will show you where you have holes in your shield of faith and where you aren’t believing God. Remember, fear and faith cannot co-exist. Then, when you understand why you aren’t believing God and the reason for your fear, the fear that was meant to destroy your faith can be used to strengthen your faith—and your determination.

Let’s say you are afraid of starting a new business venture. Leverage your fear for greater faith by asking the Lord, “Why am I afraid? What’s causing it?” Seek Him. Ask Him to speak to you through His Word and the Holy Spirit to show you what’s behind your fear. For example, He may reveal to you that you are afraid because you don’t believe He is in control, or because you are afraid to succeed.

After God reveals to you why you are afraid, ask Him to show you the truth about your fear through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. That is how fear, the very thing that could have paralyzed you, is the very thing that can make you stronger.

Again, fear does not have to be a bad thing; you just have to know what to do with it.

Are you afraid of the future or of what might or might not happen? Don’t allow fear to paralyze you; let it push you to seek the truth so that you fulfill God’s will for your life.

Additional Resources

The Blueprint for Life study is designed to help you discover the life you were born to live!  The study contains a workbook and ten audio messages featuring Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Tony Evans, John Maxwell and others. Now available for digital download. You can print multiple copies and listen to the audio messages via a link.  CLICK HERE to check it out!