Can Faith and Fear Coexist in the Life of a Believer?

God Isn’t in a Hurry—Why Are We? When God Meets You in Your Weakness

Can Faith and Fear Coexist in the Life of a Believer?

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Is. 6:8 NIV)

When you hear someone referred to as a man or woman of faith, what do you picture? I think of my friend Nancy Wilson raising her hand to take the mic from Beach Boy Brian Wilson so she could tell the crowd of secular college students about her Jesus. Or I see another friend confronting a demon-possessed girl in an airport, in Jesus’ name.

In other words—I picture modern-day Davids facing down Goliaths without fear or trepidation.

But Hebrews 11 paints a broader picture that gives me hope. While this chapter includes David, it also includes people who wrestled with fears and insecurities—people who initially thought God had tapped the wrong person for His mission. People like me.

For example, when the voice of the Lord spoke…

Moses rehearsed his shortcomings and asked God to send someone else.Gideon asked for repeated assurances.Barak wouldn’t go unless Deborah rode into battle beside him.

I can relate to heroes like this! Not fearless, but faithful to God despite their fears.

Like Moses, I’ve said, “Here I am Lord, send someone else.” Like Gideon, I’ve needed extra encouragement from God to follow through on my assignment. And like Barak, I feel better when someone goes with me.

What ties these people together—besides their insecurities? Faith. They voiced their concerns to God; He responded, and they summoned their faith to push through the smog of their doubts.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1 NIV).

Faith Acts

What separates a person of faith from the crowd? It’s not a lack of fear. The faithful choose to listen to their faith instead of their fears. Faith assures us that God’s invisible presence and power accompanies us as we obey His voice.

“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17 NIV).

Faith releases God’s power to flow through our weaknesses. Jesus didn’t do many miracles in His hometown because of their unbelief (Matt. 13:58). God still partners with weak humans who walk by faith.

In response to God’s Word—

Moses held his staff over the Red Sea.Gideon sent most of his army home.Barak attacked a professional army with a group of untrained volunteers.

They obeyed, and God parted the sea and defeated better-equipped and trained enemies.

Holding a staff can’t split water—unless God wills it. We don’t study the Bible to learn strategies to replicate but to know God so we can recognize His voice and follow Him in faith.

Dr. Neil T. Anderson wrote,

“If God declares something to be true, you simply believe Him and live according to what is true. If God didn’t say it, no amount of faith in the world will make it so. Believing doesn’t make God’s Word true. His Word is true; therefore we believe it.”

God-pleasing faith isn’t faith in ourselves. It’s placing our faith in our big God. Moses, Gideon, and Barak obeyed God despite their concerns about their weaknesses and the outcomes. Instead of chiding them for their doubts and fears, Hebrews 11 commends them for their faith.

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5 NASB).

Can faith and fear coexist? Absolutely. Our response to God’s call matters more than how we feel.

Is God calling you to press through some fear to follow Him in faith? Trust and obey.

Little Strength, Big God

Could your faith use a boost or a dose of healthy inspiration? I love the stories from Hebrews 11 covered in Little Strength, Big God. As these men and women trusted God in their epic battles, they experienced His presence and strength. So can we.

Get your copy here. And if you want to invite others to discuss it, you can find a leaders guide on the same page.

Originally published in August 28, 2023 as “4 Who Practiced Faith,” this post has been updated.

Can faith and fear coexist? Moses, Gideon, and Barak remind us that how we respond to God’s call matters more than how we feel. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Hebrews11
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Blessings,