Is fear really the opposite of faith? Most would say yes, however I respectfully disagree. The way I see it, fear actually feeds on our faith. In other words, fear is nothing more then placing your faith in fear. Additionally, fear is placing faith in fleshy “what-if” rather than in God’s “it is”.
When we succumb to living in fear we allow our imaginations to wander down a long dark alley of possibilities while getting mugged every couple of steps. Almost everyone who allows themselves to be taken hostage by what-ifs discovers that the only thing binding them is their own imagination
So what does the Bible say about this F.alse E.motion A.ppearing R.eal? In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul reminds us that, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). Simple put, a spirit of fearfulness and timidity does not come from God.
Futhermore, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” according to 1 John 4:18. No one is perfect, and God knows this. That is why He has liberally sprinkled encouragement against fear throughout the Bible. Beginning in the book of Genesis and continuing throughout the book of Revelation, God reminds us to “Fear not.”
Unequivocally, what we fear the most often reveals where we trust God the least! Therefore my brothers and sisters, we don’t have to allow fear to cripple or disable our trust in our God. You see, trusting God is a refusal to give in to fear. It is a turning to God even in the darkest times and trusting Him to make things right. This trust comes from knowing God and knowing that He is good. As Job said when he was experiencing some of the most difficult trials recorded in the Bible, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15 NKJV).
At the end of the day, when the Bible tells us, “Do not fear,” it literally means we are not to allow anxiety or fretfulness to rule our lives or take root in our hearts. We are not to be people of panic, we are to be people of faith, and we are called to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
4GIVEN 