What’s Your Greatest Fear? (part 3)

I’ve been honored to speak for Impact Week at Redwood Christian Schools where I graduated twenty-five years ago. I share my testimony in this 3-part series and challenge readers to make the Lord their greatest fear in life.

My Ministry

As I reflect on my story, I can now look in the rearview mirror and claim Romans 8 as true: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (vv. 28-29a). God was working all things together for good and making me more like Jesus.

Corrie ten Boom, who hid Jews during the Holocaust, often described life as a tapestry. She would hold up the back side of a blue-cloth embroidery, showing hundreds of tangled threads dangling down in a garbled mess. But then, she would flip the cloth over to reveal an extravagant, embroidered crown which symbolized the rewards of eternal life. “In our lives,” she would say, “we only see the messy side, but God sees his side all the time. And one day we shall see the embroidered crown from his side of the tapestry and thank him for every answered and unanswered prayer.”

I’ve shared with you portions of my life and some of the problems that I faced, because I wanted you to know that, just as God had a plan for me, he has a plan for you as well. Your life might look messy right now, but God sees the finished product. And if you are God’s child as a follower of Jesus Christ, then your heavenly Father is working all things together for your good. He is using every element in your story to make you like his Son. My first two posts contrasted the fear of the Lord with the fear of man. In this final one, we address our fear of life’s problems.

Our Fear of Life’s Problems

Proverbs 19:23 promises that “the fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” That word “harm” implies “evil” or “disaster.” The Proverbs focus on physical harm because they are rooted in God’s covenant promises of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. But in the new covenant, we can apply this principle to all kinds of problems today: spiritual, emotional, and mental as well.

I teach a course at The Master’s University on biblical counseling. We talk about life’s problems and how to understand them. Then we propose biblical solutions to help our hurting friends find hope and healing in Christ. This is what God did for me when I was struggling with the fear of man and with my crisis of faith. It’s what our church is doing as we offer biblical counseling for our community. We’ve seen marriages saved that were on the brink of divorce. We’ve helped teens wrestle through anxiety and depression. We’ve equipped men and women to overcome addiction to pornography and parents to shepherd rebellious children. We’ve walked with the grieving and shared the burdens of personal suffering. And we have proclaimed the gospel countless times.

One Sunday evening, I received a late-night call: “Pastor, I’m having thoughts of suicide. Can we talk?” “Yes, of course we can talk,” I said into the phone as I thought to myself, “I have no idea how to handle this.” So I did what every good pastor does when they don’t know what to say, “Let’s talk about the sermon this morning. What did you learn from the prophet Habakkuk?” We were on the phone for awhile. I don’t fully recall what was said or if it even helped, but thankfully, the person did not take their life and I realized that I had a lot more work to do. I had to learn how to counsel people or I wouldn’t last very long in ministry. So I went back to get more training. I listened to a lot of stories and learned by experience. As this ministry impacted our church, I grew in my commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture in counseling.

Peter writes that Christ’s “divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). In other words, God has given us biblical principles to address every problem in life. The Bible is sufficient because Christ is sufficient. If your problem has to do with either sin or suffering or becoming more like Jesus, then God’s Word has something to say about it. Of course, the Bible doesn’t give you the answers to your homework, but it does tell you how to do it without grumbling or complaining (Philippians 2:14). The Bible doesn’t script out exactly what to say to a suicidal friend, but it does show you how Christ rescues from despair (Psalms 42-43). The Bible doesn’t have a topical index for people whose loved ones have died, but it does teach them how to grieve their losses with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The Bible has plenty of examples, like the prophet Habakkuk, for how to hold onto your faith in suffering.

Let me encourage you that the only way to become more like Jesus and to experience lasting change in your life is through the perfect, all-sufficient Word of God (Psalm 19:7-14). If you’re struggling with life’s problems, talk with someone who knows how to apply the Bible. You don’t need to talk with a pastor, but it should be a Christian you trust who understands both you and the Bible and can bring the two together. Their goal should be to point you to the person and work of Jesus Christ. God’s Word then moves us from our fear of life’s problems to our faith in the Lord’s provision.

Our Faith in the Lord’s Provision

My first course in seminary was An Introduction to Biblical Counseling and I was blown away by its practicality. Growing up, I never knew that Scripture could address the everyday problems of life. Somehow, I’d compartmentalized the Bible as something that the preacher talked about on Sunday or that you read for devotional encouragement, but wasn’t really practical or relevant if you had a problem. Whenever Christians talked about life, we always talked about experiential knowledge: “You know, this idea worked for me” or “Try this technique” or “Talk to that expert over there.” No one ever said, “Let’s go see what the Bible has to say about our problems.” The Scriptures were only reserved for black-and-white issues like, “Do not lie. Do not commit adultery. Obey your parents.” So obedience became more of a duty than a delight. We kept the rules, but rarely understood why. It was life-changing to learn how God’s Word guides us along the path of faith (Psalm 119:105).

Let me show you one example of how the Bible speaks to the problem of anxiety. We could multiple this hundreds of times for life’s many problems, but today we’ll only address one. In Philippians 4, Paul presents biblical counsel for overcoming anxiety—seven keys to put off sinful fear from your life.

1. First, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (v. 4). Paul command us twice to rejoice for the sake of emphasis. It’s hard to be grateful when you’re anxious because fear can steal your joy. It’s like going to a party and the whole time worrying if you left the front door unlocked, anxiety keeps you from truly enjoying yourself. Yet Paul says to rejoice always—in every situation—whether life is good or bad. Notice he says, “Rejoice in the Lord.” You don’t escape anxiety by leasing a new sports car or winning the lottery. Fears don’t disappear when you get straight A’s or the prettiest girl in school. Your joy must be in the Lord and in that which delights the Lord. So one way to put off anxiety is to thank God every day for who he is and what he’s done. Keep a gratitude journal. Pray continually. Find reasons to rejoice in the Lord each day.
2. Second, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone” (v. 5a)—Resolve to be gentle. I know it’s hard to imagine, but I used to have an anger problem. It wasn’t the “explode on you and humiliate you in public” kind of anger. It was more of a “quickly irritated because you’re not doing what I want” kind of anger. Like everything else, my anger was rooted in my fear. My anxiety made me unreasonable. I was neither patient nor kind. I wasn’t loving toward others. Those were virtues I had to learn through obedience to Christ. Perhaps you also struggle to control your anger. The problem might be that your anger is rooted in fear. Some of you are fearful that your parents have too much authority over you. Some are fearful about grades or dating or making the wrong decisions about your future. You get irritable because you’re anxious and angry if life doesn’t go your way. Therefore, resolve to be gentle when you feel yourself getting worked up.
3. A third way to fight anxiety is to remember God’s presence: “The Lord is at hand” (v. 5b). It’s like walking through a dark alley late at night, but with your big, tough older brother right by your side. He will never leave you nor forsake you. If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus today, he invites you to come to him. He calls you to experience the joy of his presence. And if you’re already a believer, he beckons you to remember his promises and to know that he is with you. Be comforted that the Lord is near.
4. Then fourth, refuse to be anxious: “Do not be anxious about anything” (v. 6a). This is the most frequent command in the Bible and it can’t be any more clear: “Do not be anxious about anything.” There is no realm of life where you are allowed to be sinfully anxious. This is a command which we can and must obey. Some may be prone to anxiety—nervous by nature. Some may be dealing with past trauma or difficult circumstances that make it seem impossible to obey. Yet God doesn’t call us to obey without also granting the power to do so. It’s never okay to be sinfully anxious. It’s not permissible to entertain even a teeny-weeny bit of worry because sinful anxiety sent Jesus to the cross. Sinful anxiety produces thoughts and behavior of which you must repent. So when you are tempted, first refuse to be anxious. Draw upon the strength of God. Live in the joyous fear of Lord. Consider it your duty to obey his commands and your delight to worship him with your life. Then trust that his commands are for your good.
5. The fifth way to overcome anxiety is to rely on prayer: “Do not be anxious . . . , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (vv. 6b-7). Learn to pray about everything. “Supplication” means to ask God for what you need and “thanksgiving” means to thank God when he provides. It’s true that God already knows what you’re going to pray for, but he delights in hearing it from you like a Father who loves his child. One purpose of prayer is to transform your own heart because prayer constantly reminds you of the God to whom you pray. He is loving and gracious, transcendent and all-powerful, sovereign and good. He delights to hear your prayers and to welcome you to himself. You’ll get anxious if you think that you’re in charge. If you’re afraid of messing up, you’ll run in circles like a hamster on its wheel. Yet prayer reminds you that God’s got you covered. He’s not worrying, so neither should you. You can rely on him in prayer.
6. Then, as you pray, rest your mind on what is praiseworthy: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (v. 8). Our anxiety increases when we’re constantly thinking about the wrong things. We’re focused on the negative—everything that could go wrong. We’re focused on self, believing that our future depends on performance. We’re focused on a wrong view of God when we don’t trust him for who he is. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to rest our minds on what is excellent and praiseworthy. Meditate on the words of Scripture. Consider God’s promises. Reflect on his attributes and his unchanging faithfulness. Think about what is true and how you can praise the Lord each day. You’ve got to get your thinking straight and give your mind a rest.
7. One final way to combat anxiety is to reach out and practice what is good: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (v. 9). It’s not enough to know the truth and to think the truth. You also need to practice the truth. Paul tells the church, “I’ve taught you this. I’ve shown you my example. You’ve learned it already. Now get out there and do it.” Paul’s like a coach telling his team to, “Play ball!” When you’re anxious, of course, you’re of no good to anyone. That hamster on the wheel goes nowhere. So get busy doing good. Convert your nervous energy into acts of kindness and loving service. Instead of worrying about the future, do what you can in the present. As Hamilton testified, “Let me tell you what I wish I’d known / When I was young and dreamed of glory / You have no control / Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?”

Every time you struggle with sinful anxiety, practice these principles from Philippians 4. And as you do so, consider Jesus who practiced them to perfection. Rejoice in the Lord like Jesus who rejoiced in his heavenly Father. Resolve to be gentle like Jesus who never sinned in his response to sinners. Remember the Lord is near like Jesus who was continually filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Refuse to be anxious. For Jesus was tempted in every way, yet without sin. Rely on prayer like Jesus who spent regular time with God even though he was the Son of God. Rest your mind on what is excellent and praiseworthy like Jesus who never had a wayward thought. Finally, reach out and practice what is good like Jesus who always did his Father’s will. Do these things and you will never be anxious another day in your life. The Lord’s provision in his Word is the answer to life’s problems.

Life Application Study: